Rayuan Lane’s breakout against the Indianapolis Colts didn’t just help the Jacksonville Jaguars win in convincing fashion. It also earned him league recognition.
The Jaguars safety was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a huge performance in his second NFL start, stepping into the lineup with Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray both injured. Lane became the second Jaguar to pick up that honor this season, and the first former Navy player ever to win it.
Lane filled up the stat sheet against Indianapolis with three tackles, three passes defensed, one quarterback hit and one special teams tackle. The play everyone will remember, though, was his 92-yard interception return for a touchdown. It was the second longest in franchise history and tied for the second longest in the NFL this season.
He also hit an eye-opening top speed of 21.83 miles per hour on the return, according to Next Gen Stats, which ranked as the fourth-highest speed by a ball carrier in 2026.
After the game, head coach Liam Coen pointed to Lane’s focus and timing on the scoring play.
"That kind of really broke the game open," Coen said of the interception. "It was a massive play to stay focused throughout the tip and be able to control that ball and take it to the house.
He has made a number of those plays. When you have second-year players that have been primarily special teams contributors step up and make plays for you on defense, that's huge."
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile also had plenty to say about Lane on Tuesday.
"I was fired up for him," Campanile said. "He did a great job communicating."
Lane isn’t the only Jaguars defender to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week this season. Foyesade Oluokun took the award after Jacksonville beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4, when he posted a team-high seven tackles, one forced fumble, one quarterback hit and one interception.
That pick was the 10th of his career, making Oluokun one of just seven linebackers drafted since 2018 with at least 10 career interceptions. His two interceptions in 2026 are tied for the third most in the NFL this season so far.
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