After struggling to stop opposing defenses in 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars fielded one of the best defenses in the NFL last year. While defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile deserves plenty of credit for steering the ship in the right direction, he wouldn't have been able to oversee a turnaround with enough talent. In fact, you could make the case that Campanile wouldn't have been able to do his job without pass rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
Hines-Allen and Walker give Jacksonville one of the best pass-rush tandems in the NFL. This is why it's not particularly shocking to see them crack a recent ranking. Then again, they still have their work cut out.
Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen landed at No. 5 in a pass-rush ranking
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report drew up a list of the 10 best pass-rush duos in the NFL. He included Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, placing them at No. 5 on the list because they're terrifying when they're at their best. Here's the skinny.
"When the duo is at its best, both are capable of taking over games," Davenport wrote. "Walker posted double-digit sacks in both 2023 and 2024. In 2023, Hines-Allen had 17.5 sacks—second most in the NFL."
Davenport continued, "We've reached a point in this list where edge-rusher duos go from scary to potentially terrifying."
In case you were wondering, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith (Pittsburgh Steelers) popped up at No. 5. Jared Verse and Byron Young (Los Angeles Rams) finished third, while Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto were second. Meanwhile, the top spot went to Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. (Houston Texans). All things considered, this ranking feels right.
This begs the question, what's stopping Hines-Allen and Walker from earning a top spot? The pressures are certainly there, and both of them are studs against the run. However, their dearth of game-altering plays is holding them back.
Sacks aren't the only way to measure a pass rusher's success or lack thereof. However, the best pass rusher routinely posts a substantial amount year in and year out. Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and Maxx Crosby are routinely double and triple-teamed. Yet, they find a way to get after the quarterback. Hines-Allen and Walker aren't in that echelon, at least not now.
Hines-Allen did have 17.5 sacks in 2023 but racked up a combined 15.5 the past two years. On the other hand, Walker posted consecutive 10-sack seasons before injuries limited him to just 3.5 last year.
On the other hand, you could see just how valuable Walker is when the defense suffered a steep dropoff during his absence in 2025. Similarly, Hines-Allen would get more favorable matchups if Jacksonville could create pressure on the interior.
Why the Jaguars should get better production from Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen
You could make the case that Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen left a bit desired in 2025, but there's a reason to believe that the duo will bounce back and wreak havoc across the line of scrimmage next season. For starters, Walker should be back at full strength. Last year, he dealt with hand and knee injuries.
The fact that Jacksonville gave him a four-year extension worth $110 million goes on to show that the team's brass is confident that the former Georgia Bulldog can be a game-changer. On the other hand, he and Hines-Allen should have more favorable matchups after the Jags bolster the interior defensive line with Ruke Orhorhoro and Albert Regis in the offseason.
When you add it all up, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are in a position to make noise for the Jaguars next season, and in turn move up in rankings.
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