Oluokun Reveals Another Reason Graham Would Fit Well With Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars need strong play from their defensive tackles to get the best out of their linebackers, Foye Oluokun says. Could that be Mason Graham?

Nov 10, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) celebrates a turnover against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

If Foye Oluokun were in charge of lunch hour, he’d strategically schedule certain position groups before others.

“I think I want my linemen to eat more than me,” the Jacksonville linebacker said Wednesday, “because if they’re disruptive getting off the ball, if I feel like we have a zero that can beat up their center, he can disrupt every play, it’s going to make my job easier.

“So, at the end of the day, I feel like what’s best for them is going to be the best for me.”

And what’s best for Oluokun, based on his comments, seems to be Mason Graham. Most mock drafts have the Jaguars taking the Michigan defensive tackle with the fifth-overall pick in the first round. ESPN draft analyst Field Yates said this week Jacksonville should not overthink the selection.

Yates, who hosts the First Draft podcast with Mel Kiper and Mike Greenberg, believes Graham would fit immediately into any of the NFL’s 32 defenses. As a true sophomore in 2023, Graham looked like the best player on the Wolverines’ defense during their national championship year, Yates said. At the close of the 2025 draft, that 2023 Michigan unit is expected to have produced a dozen NFL prospects.

“You got to look past the sack production for Mason Graham to tell the full story,” said Yates, noting Graham had just nine sacks in three years at Michigan. “Yeah, the numbers are okay, but what really blows you away is the play-in, play-out, where he completely compromises the integrity of the pocket.

“Quarterbacks, even the most athletic ones, hate pressure coming right down the barrel. Mason Graham at Pick 5, to me, is the classic card to sprint in, help your defense right away.”

And the best way to help Trevor Lawrence, most agree, is to improve the Jaguars’ defense. Jacksonville ranked in the bottom seven in both fewest points scored per game (18.8, 26th) and most average points allowed (25.6, 28th). The team also ranked last in average time of possession (26:56).

For Oluokun, improving those numbers is a matter of the order in which the Jaguars consume their opponents.

“If they have good guards that get up to that second level, if we can maybe disrupt that,” Oluokun said. “But at the end of the day, that’s still the linemen eating first, and as long as we’ve got linemen doing their thing, I feel like I’m good to go.”

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