Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence, Foyesade Oluokun Reveal First Impressions of Ryan Nielsen

What do two Jaguars captains think about the newest defensive coordinator?

Oct 20, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New Orleans Saints co defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

There is a new sheriff in town when it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense.

New defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is still in the infancy stages of his tenure, replacing former defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell earlier this offseason. But it hasn't taken long for Nielsen to leave an impression on his new locker room as offseason workout programs begin.

"I talked with Coach Nielsen [Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen] before this, before the extension and everything. I had a lot of confidence with where he could take my game personally," Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun said on Tuesday, just weeks after signing a new deal.

"I just wanted to play for coaches who trust me and an organization who trusted me, rather than hitting the whole market again after this year and stuff. It kind of gives me some security, helps the team out with cap space probably. But at the end of the day, it’s about if you guys respect me and like me around, I definitely want to be here.”

Nielsen, who just spent his first year as defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, was one of the Jaguars' early targets before the Falcons blocked their interview request. Eventually, the Falcons lifted the restriction, ultimately leading to Nielsen becoming the Jaguars' new defensive coordinator.

“Yeah, I knew a lot of the guys in Atlanta, I hit them up right away about what kind of guy he is, how he coaches and stuff," Oluokun said.

"Pretty hardnosed, a lot of good energy coming from him. Already runs a straight ship, I think the guys will respond very well to that, keeping guys accountable. We’re all going to play as hard as we can for him.”

Nielsen, 44, just finished his first year with the Falcons as defensive coordinator, with the Falcons finishing No. 18 in points allowed, No. 12 in EPA/Play, No. 5 in success rate, and No. 1 in rushing EPA/Play.

Nielsen has been in the NFL since 2017, when the New Orleans Saints hired him from NC State. After four years as the Saints' defensive line coach, Nielsen was promoted to assistant head coach in 2021 and then co-defensive coordinator in 2022. Nielsen was also looked at by LSU as a defensive coordinator candidate in 2021.

"We really haven’t gotten too deep into the schematics, but just watching the way that Atlanta played last year and the Saints before that. I think he [Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen] got a lot of his defense from that," Oluokun said.

"Just watching the way they played, they play aggressive, they attack, they’re downhill, they’re fast all over. It’s all about effort and I think that’s where he’s going to keep our standard to. Playing hard, playing aggressive. If we just take those, outside of scheme, just take that style of play, I think a good deal of things will happen for us.”

But it is one player who Nielsen won't even be coaching who gave perhaps the most insight on Tuesday. When asked about his impressions of how Nielsen runs his defense -- after facing them in London a year ago -- Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence identified his main takeaways.

"I would say, and who knows, I haven’t really talked to him in depth about what he’s going to do here necessarily, but he’s really good at disrupting players; his scheme, his defense is really good at disrupting timing," Lawrence said.

"They press, they’re really physical on the outside, not a lot of free access of letting guys get off the ball. They mix in the shell coverages a lot, even with some pressures. They’re really good up front, run discipline is really good. Those are just the main things that I’d say, especially in coverage. It’s tough when they press and they play man, they press and they play zone. They disguise stuff really well, they’re physical. When guys don’t get out and they aren’t on time and you have a good pass rush, it’s really hard as a quarterback because then you’re moving around, your timing is thrown off, you’re trying to find a spot to throw, your receiver isn’t there yet because they got pressed. I think they do, or he does, now us, a great job of that.”