With all the upgrades the Jacksonville Jaguars have made to the roster in the offseason, it's easy to forget that the cupboard wasn't fully bare last year. They had a few playmakers, and one of them was defensive end Josh Hines-Allen. Although he didn't post 10-digit sacks after his breakout 2023 campaign, he was still one of the most productive edge rushers in the league. That's why it wasn't surprising to see the 2019 first-round pick pop up in the top half of a recent top 32 ranking.
Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 edge rushers in the NFL and placed Hines-Allen at 11, pointing out that the former Kentucky Wildcat doesn't get nearly as much recognition as he deserves despite consistently racking up big numbers.
"Hines-Allen has long been one of the NFL's most underrated players, and 2024 was no exception," Smith said. "The former first-round pick out of Kentucky tied for ninth in the league with 63 total pressures, just one year removed from a career-high 90 in 2023."
One reason Hines-Allen might consistently fly under the radar is that he's only posted 10 or more sacks in a season twice the past six years. Having said that, he's routinely been one of the most consistent players the Jags have had in spite of the ups and downs they've suffered since they drafted him seventh overall in 2019.
Heck, Hines-Allen showed in 2023 that when things align in his favor, he can post sacks at a high rate. That year, he had 17.5. But even last season, he wreaked havoc at the line of scrimmage. It's just that it doesn't always show up on the stat sheet.
All things considered, 11th is a fair spot for Hines-Allen. As dominant as he is, he's not in the same tier as fellow pass rushers Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt, Aidan Hutchinson, or Maxx Crosby. All of them popped up in the top 10. You could make the case that he's in Tier 2 at the position, alongside Danielle Hunter.
Surprisingly, bookend edge rusher Travon Walker was snubbed despite the fact that he's logged 10 sacks in back-to-back seasons. If he has another productive year, though, it will be hard to leave him out.
The Jaguars need Josh HInes-Allen to set the tone in 2025
The Jacksonville Jaguars cleaned house in the offseason and will lean on veterans like Josh Hines-Allen to lead the way. That means that he'll need to be a vocal voice in the locker room, whether he's named team captain or not. Similarly, he'll need to make more plays on the field. Yes, pressures are important, as they disrupt a quarterback's timing. However, sacks are more definitive, as they can end drives and kill momentum.
And that's the thing, the Jags ranked ninth in the league in defensive turnovers last year. It will be up to Hines-Allen and players such as Tyson Campbell and Arik Armstead to create more takeaways next season. They're the team's highest-paid players on defense, so it only makes sense that they play as such.
The bottom line is that Josh Hines-Allen is a building block, but the Jaguars will need more from him if they want to turn things around in 2025.