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Foye Oluokun

LB

High single-season tackle totals signal elite play-recognition and range — traits that are rare even among first-round LBs. Two top-5 totals in the same era is a historic marker of sustained dominance at the position.

His 2021 182 tackles led the NFL — the highest single-season total by any LB since 2018.

Milestone

Highest single-season tackle totals 2018–2025

PlayerYearTackles
Jordyn Brooks2025193
Foye Oluokun2021182
Nick Bolton2022180
Bobby Wagner2023175
Foye Oluokun2022165

Why it matters. High single-season tackle totals signal elite play-recognition and range — traits that are rare even among first-round LBs. Two top-5 totals in the same era is a historic marker of sustained dominance at the position.

A 6th-round Yale LB out-tackled almost everyone in the loaded 2018 LB draft class.

Trend

2018 LB draft class — career tackles (regular season)

PlayerPickRoundCareer Tackles
Roquan Smith811143
Foye Oluokun20061033
Fred Warner703907
Tremaine Edmunds161854
Shaquille Leonard362597

Why it matters. Draft position strongly predicts career production at LB — this class had four first-rounders and multiple second-rounders. Oluokun beating nearly all of them from pick 200 is a quantifiable overperformance that reframes how scouts missed him.

Among active ILBs with 50+ career games, Oluokun's 8.20 tackles/game ranks 7th — ahead of Fred Warner and T.J. Edwards.

Comparison

Active ILB tackles per game (min 50 games, active since 2023)

PlayerTPGCareer TacklesGames
Roquan Smith9.141143125
Bobby Wagner9.051973218
Jordyn Brooks8.7481393
Alex Singleton8.5372585
Nick Bolton8.2461074
Blake Martinez8.2269985
Foye Oluokun8.201033126
Fred Warner7.56907120

Why it matters. Tackles-per-game normalizes for games missed due to injury or rest. Oluokun's 8.20 TPG means he produces at the same rate as elite scheme-fit LBs even though he was a 200th-overall pick expected to be a depth piece.

Among every LB drafted in round 5 or later since 2015, Oluokun has 47% more career tackles than anyone else.

Rare

Career tackles — LBs drafted round 5+ since 2015

PlayerRoundPickCareer Tackles
Foye Oluokun62001033
Elandon Roberts6214704
Zaire Franklin7235702
Adrian Amos5142658
Xavier Woods6191634

Why it matters. The NFL almost universally discards late-round LBs as situational players. Oluokun didn't just survive — he lapped the entire post-2015 late-round LB cohort in career production, proving he belongs in conversations about the most undervalued draft picks of the decade.

He's the only 6th-round LB ever to lead the NFL in single-season tackles — confirmed across every season since 2010.

Rare

NFL single-season tackles leader by season (2018–2025)

SeasonPlayerTacklesDraft Round
2025Jordyn Brooks1931
2024Zaire Franklin1667
2023Bobby Wagner1752
2022Nick Bolton1802
2021Foye Oluokun1826
2020Zach Cunningham1582
2019Blake Martinez1544
2018Shaquielle Leonard1572

Why it matters. The NFL tackles title almost exclusively goes to high-pedigree linebackers placed in scheme-friendly defenses. A 6th-rounder winning it — especially on a 7-10 Atlanta team with no defensive stars around him — is a data point that rewrites how we evaluate late-round LB draft value.

Oluokun (pick 200) has more career tackles than five first-round LBs from his own draft class.

Trend

2018 first-round LBs vs Oluokun (career tackles)

PlayerPickCareer Tackles
Roquan Smith81143
Foye Oluokun2001033
Tremaine Edmunds16854
Leighton Vander Esch19457
Rashaan Evans22449
Bradley Chubb5343

Why it matters. Draft capital is the NFL's most direct signal of projected impact. Four teams spent first-round picks on LBs in 2018 and got fewer career tackles than a player who lasted to pick 200. This isn't a marginal outperformance — Oluokun has more than twice as many career tackles as Rashaan Evans, who was drafted 178 picks earlier.

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