JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Going into the 2026 season, linebacker was one of the team’s biggest question marks. There were no reservations about Foye Oluokun; however, replacing the impact of Devin Lloyd was a concern.
Throughout training camp and preseason, the Jaguars weren’t sure themselves who would be his replacement, listing Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs as co-starters. Through the first five weeks, Miller has made it clear: the job is now his.
Let’s take a look at the Jaguars’ starting linebacker duo, which has gone from having question marks to exclamations.
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Foye Oluokun continues to be among the NFL’s most underrated players, looking for his seventh straight 100+ tackle season. This season, however, he’s taking it upon himself to make up for some of those impact plays left by Devin Lloyd.
Oluokun currently leads the NFL in interceptions (2) at the position and holds the NFL’s best passer rating against with an impressive 49.7. Those two interceptions came in huge moments as well, stopping would-be scores against Cleveland and Cincinnati.
His interception against the Bengals likely won the Jaguars the game. With it, the Jaguars’ win probability shot up from 52% to 76%. Thus far into 2026, no linebacker has been as impactful in coverage as Oluokun and his -14.5 coverage EPA allowed.
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Shifting our focus to his partner in crime, Ventrell Miller has met and exceeded any expectations of him in 2026. The former Gator has shown he’s one of the league’s best run defenders, posting 12 run-stops on the season, fourth best at the position.
His 13.3% run-stop % is even better, leading the NFL. Pro Football Focus has Miller as the highest-graded linebacker in the NFL. His 4.4% negative graded play %, the lowest among NFL linebackers this season, is a big reason for that. The Jags stats when he is on the field versus off it agree with this sentiment from PFF.
When Miller is on the field, the Jags allow just 4.7 yards per play and 13.4% explosive play rate, compared to the 8.9 yards per play and 5.8% explosive play % when standing on the sidelines.
On run plays, Miller and company hold opponents to 2.59 YPC. In his absence, that number climbs to 4.00 YPC.
What was thought to be a major offseason need, the Jaguars’ decision to essentially avoid the position altogether has turned into one of the best calls of Gladstone’s career in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars now have a two-headed monster that can go toe-to-toe with the NFL’s best.
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