Nate Landman and Foye Oluokun took home top defensive awards in Week 1.
The Atlanta Falcons were unable to get the win in their season opener, but two of their former players took home awards in Week 1. Los Angeles Rams linebacker Nate Landman and Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun each won Defensive Player of the Week in their respective conferences.
Landman, who spent his first three NFL seasons in Atlanta (2022-2024), recorded 10 tackles (six solo), one QB hit and one forced fumble in his Rams debut. Atlanta let the former undrafted free agent out of Colorado walk in free agency, signing Divine Deablo as a replacement.
Oluokun produced nearly the exact same stat line as Landman — 10 tackles (five solo) and one forced fumble — but added one interception to cap off his incredible Week 1 performance. The Falcons drafted Oluokun in the sixth round out of Yale back in 2018.
After several productive seasons in Atlanta, including his 192-tackle, three-interception campaign in 2021, Oluokun cashed in with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.
Over his four seasons with the Falcons, Oluokun recorded 462 tackles (272 solo), five interceptions, five sacks and seven forced fumbles. The 30-year-old has continued to produce at a high level over the last few years in Jacksonville, racking up 475 tackles (305 solo), 19 passes defended and three interceptions.
As for Landman, he had a few productive seasons in Atlanta. His best year came in 2023 when he had 110 tackles (66 solo), three forced fumbles and one interception. The Falcons did not pick up Landman’s tender after the 2024 season, and he landed with the Rams on a one-year, $1.1 million contract.
That deal sure looks like a bargain one week into the 2025 season.