Jaguars DE Josh Hines-Allen has strong case to appear in NFL's Top 100 players

Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen has become a cornerstone for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coming off a banner season, the two-time Pro Bowl nod has cemented his place as one of the top pass rushers in the league. That has led Justin Melo of The Draft Network to make the case for Hines-Allen to appear in the NFL's Top 100 players from 2024.

Melo drew up a list of candidates deserving of a spot in the Top 100 players from 2024. He included Hines-Allen, citing his steady growth since the Jags made him the seventh overall pick in 2019 as a reason.

"Surprisingly, Jacksonville EDGE Josh Hines-Allen has never featured on this list. He recorded 10.5 sacks as a rookie in 2019 and remained consistent in 2021 and 2022 with 7.5 and 7.0 sacks (his sophomore 2020 season was derailed by injury). Hines-Allen's argument was significantly strengthened this past season and he'll no longer be denied."

Last year, It would've been hard to justify giving Hines-Allen a spot. While he played at an elite level at times and made plays for the Jaguars in 2022, he wasn't on par with other pass rushers such as T.J. Watt or Myles Garret. That said, the former Kentucky Wildcat put it all together in 2023, setting a new franchise record for sacks in a season with 17.5 and ranking sixth in the league in total pressures with 90.

Rightly, Hines-Allen has made the cut in most pass rusher rankings after his breakout season. He was originally omitted on CBS Sports' list but that was an oversight, something Cody Benjamin acknowledged in the aftermath.

It's also worth noting that Hines-Allen popped up at No. 23 on CBS Sports' list of the top 100 players, so it's fair to say that the Virginia native is getting attention from the national media ahead of the 2024 season. This should strengthen his case to appear in the NFL's countdown.

The other players Melo thinks deserve a spot are quarterback Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers), wide receiver Puka Nacua, along with running back Kyren Williams (Los Angeles Rams), and quarterback C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans).

Jaguars DE Josh Allen and TE Evan Engram have a strong case to appear in the NFL's Top 100 Players of 2024

Even though the Jaguars finished 9-8 last year, they had several top-notch individual performances. Out of the bunch, Josh Hines-Allen likely stands out the most. After years of lacking consistency, he was able to put it all together. That said, he's not the only Jaguar who is deserving of the spotlight.

Tight end Evan Engram was three catches short of breaking the record for most receptions in a season by a tight end, set by Zach Ertz in 2019. Similarly, his 114 catches were the second most in a season in team history, only behind the 116 Jimmy Smith logged in 1999.

While you could make the case that his yard-per-reception average of 8.4 was underwhelming, that was by design. Moreover, that argument becomes null when you factor in that the former Ole Miss Rebel generated the second most yards after the catch among tight ends in the NFL last year.

When you take everything into account, Engram should have a favorable chance of getting a spot in the top 100 players of 2024.

Other Jaguars who could pop up are linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and running back Travis Etienne. Their case might not be as strong as Engram's or Hines-Allen's but should ultimately have a chance.

Last year, Lawrence was the only Jaguars player to appear in the NFL's top 100 players. Don't be surprised if he and some of his teammates make the cut in 2024.

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