NEW ORLEANS — There are not many positives to take away from this Jets season, but the play of left tackle Olu Fashanu is one.
The 2024 first-round pick has had a strong second season, and the pairing of him and Armand Membou at right tackle feels like it could be a long-term answer.
Fashanu has been credited by Pro Football Focus with allowing six sacks and 35 pressures this season.
He has been a key piece of the offensive line and made improvements in the running game.
“I hold myself to a pretty high standard, and there are definitely a good amount of moments I felt I could have done a lot better,” Fashanu said this week. “I know, for myself, it’s all about taking what I learned from the last game and taking it to the next week, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that. For me, I just know that I’m always in the mindset of constantly trying to improve, trying to find things to work on in the run and pass game.”
With three games left, Fashanu is hoping to avoid a late-season injury like he had last year. He had plantar fasciitis and that hampered his offseason.
“First off, I’m just praying that I finish the season off healthy,” Fashanu said. “That definitely played a large part in my last offseason, just focusing on getting back to 100 percent, rehabbing. I feel like hopefully I can finish the season out strong and healthy, and that can definitely help for the offseason.”
The Jets are 3-11 this season and went 5-12 in his first year. All of the losing has taken a toll on some of the players through the years. Fashanu admitted it has been tough.
“It sucks. I hate losing. I feel like I hate losing more than I love winning,” Fashanu said. “It has definitely been a lot of losing over the past two years. I know, for myself, all I can do is control the controllables, do all that I can to help the team win. I know if I’m doing my part that eventually everything will fall into place.”
Fashanu has already had three head coaches in two seasons — with Robert Saleh, interim coach Jeff Ulbrich and Aaron Glenn. Fashanu said he believes in the direction under Glenn.
“The entire change of culture from the moment A.G. and this staff stepped in, it’s completely different than last year,” Fashanu said. “Obviously, it might not be reflected in our record, but from this point last year until now it feels like a completely different team. It really feels like we’re building something.”
The Jets elevated DB Tre Brown from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
