Saquon Barkley Reveals Which Jaguars Delivered Hardest Hit of Career

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is officially the cover athlete of Madden 26, a prestigious honor passed on year to year. Last year it was 49ers' Christian McCaffrey, making Barkley just the 8th running back to be featured.

This came after a jaw-dropping backwards hurdle by Barkley, where he managed to completely evade Jacksonville Jaguars' cornerback Jarrian Jones. However, what doesn't get talked about is the hit on Barkley that came after. He admitted it certainly did a number on him:

"The hardest that I've been hit in the NFL was the jump, when I jumped over the dude backwards. One of the D-lineman [Tyler Lacy]," said Barkley when asked what his hardest hit in the NFL was.

"If you see I get up and I'm just like, I didn't realize what I did until you actually see it. But I knew at that moment, I was like wow that hit hurt. My back kind of locked up on me. So that's probably one of the biggest shots I took in a long time."

But who is Tyler Lacy?

A 4th-round defensive tackle out of Oklahoma State (130th overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Jaguars saw a lot of potential in Lacy. He played all 4 collegiate seasons for the "Pokes," where he slowly improved year to year.

While Lacy played 10 games as a freshman, he only recorded a total of 20 combined tackles and 11 sack. However, as a sophmore Lacy broke out onto the scene immediately. In 11 appearances, Lacy notched 32 total tackles, 4 sacks, along with 8 tackles for loss.

In 2024, Lacy was responsible for a total of 25 tackles (10 solo), but didn't manage to record any sacks or TFLs. Still, Lacy has been a reliable player for Jacksonville when he gets on the field.

As of right now, Lacy is only 25 years old, with a lot of room to grow in front of him. There's a good chance that both fans and the front office will see significant improvement from the young defensive lineman in the near future. All we can do is wait and see what unfolds.

To get our updates for the Jaguars and their defense this year, follow us on X at @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley.

Talk to us about the Jaguars and their defense this year by following our Facebook WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.