Jaguars: 3 players that can’t take a step backward in 2021

The Jacksonville Jaguars need Josh Allen to regain his Pro Bowl form.

Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen, just like DJ Chark, made the Pro Bowl in 2019. As a rookie, the Kentucky product appeared in all 16 games with four starts and registered 44 total tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Last season, a knee injury limited him to eight games, and suffered a significant drop in production, posting a measly 2.5 sacks, 13 combined tackles, and two tackles for loss.

To add insult to injury, the team wasn’t equipped to make up for Allen’s absence. Dawuane Smoot played a career-high 59 percent of the team’s total snaps on defense and registered 5.5 sacks. However, he’s better suited in a complementary role, not a featured one. Rookie defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson, the 20th overall pick in 2020’s draft, struggled early in the season to make the transition to the pros. To his credit, he finished the season strong.

Also, the Jags spend the offseason fortifying the defensive front. They signed Roy Robertson-Harris and Jihad Ward. They also brought back Smoot and Adam Gotsis, who started 14 games in Jacksonville last season. All these are important acquisitions but the team will need the former first-round pick to get back in Pro Bowl shape.

Back in 2019, Allen was behind Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue on the depth chart. He will now have to become the Jaguars’ top pass rusher. The team added depth this offseason but they need Allen to wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage.