![Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) takes a breather after warmups during the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2079,h_1169/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01jy72d2msrtkfjzaan4.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) takes a breather after warmups during the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
Because the Jacksonville Jaguars underwent a roster overhaul in the offseason, it's easy to forget that they had a handful of building blocks in place. One of them was edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen, who's become a staple of the Jags' defense and one of their best players since being drafted in 2019. Coincidentally, a list with the top players of that year's NFL Draft just came out, and he's not thrilled with it.
Fox Sports put together a list of the 10 best players of the 2019 draft class, and Hines-Allen didn't make the cut. He caught wind of the ranking and didn't hesitate to share his disappointment. Below is his reaction.
"Not making the Top Ten from my draft class is wild to me," Hines-Allen wrote on Twitter. "I've never been handed anything, always had to earn every inch and still get misunderstood. But that's alright. Let's keep proving people, just like always."
In case you were wondering who made the cut, and whether Hines-Allen's displeasure was valid, here's the top 10:
10. OG Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons
9. WR Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
8. WR DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
7. RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
6. DT Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans
5. DT Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants
4. QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
3. WR A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
2. DE Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
1. DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
Hines-Allen certainly had an appealing case to make the cut. He registered 10.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. On top of that, the Virginia native set a new franchise record for sacks in a season in 2023 when he logged 17.5. On the other hand, he's only registered more than 10 sacks in a season just twice in his career. That might've hurt him.
Top 10 or not, the Jaguars have a franchise player in Josh Hines-Allen
There's no doubt that Josh Hines-Allen has done enough to earn consideration as one of the 10 best players to come out of the 2019 NFL Draft, but this begs the question: Who would you have left out to include him? Nick Bosa and Maxx Crosby have been better pass rushers than him, so both of them were worthy of a spot.
On the other hand, Dexter Lawrence and Jeffery Simmons are two of the best defensive tackles in the league. Both of them have more accolades than Hines-Allen. The same is true for offensive guard Chris Lindstrom. On the other hand, A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, and DK Metcalf will pop up in most top 10 receiver rankings. There's also Kyler Murray. He's the Cardinals' franchise quarterback and plays a position that has a higher impact on the outcome of a game.
All 10 players are equally deserving as Hines-Allen. Working in his favor is that he's in a position to improve his stock in 2025 and leave no doubt that he was snubbed. Under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, the former Kentucky Wildcat is in a position to succeed. He's back at his natural playing weight and should find more favorable matchups with the duo of Maason Smith and Arik Armstead wreaking havoc inside.
If Hines-Allen has another banner season in 2025, and signs point in that direction, he'll leave no doubt that he's one of the top 10 players of the 2019 draft.