NFL analyst believes Jaguars DE Josh Hines-Allen can win coveted award

Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen had a career year for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023. Having set a new franchise record for sacks in a season, he's turned his attention to his next set of goals. One of them is winning the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award. The two-time Pro Bowler has certainly the talent to earn such an illustrious award, and analyst Bucky Brooks believes he'll have a shot in 2024.

Brooks drew up a list of dark horse candidates for every big award in the NFL and chose Hines-Allen for DPOY, noting that playing alongside Travon Walker and Arik Armstead will help him find more favorable matchups next season.

"After nearly claiming the sack title in 2023 with 17.5 QB takedowns, the two-time Pro Bowler could cement his status as a top-five edge rusher with a dominant campaign this year. Fresh off a name change, Hines-Allen will have more opportunities to showcase his pass-rushing arsenal as the designated playmaker on a front line that also features Travon Walker and Arik Armstead. Those two big-bodied bullies with power-centric games should command enough attention to eliminate the double teams and chip protections opponents have attempted to utilize in order to neutralize Hines-Allen on crucial downs in the past."

Brooks goes on to say that playing in defensive coordinator Ryan Neilsen's creative scheme should put Hines-Allen in a position to "wreak havoc on opponents in 2024."

Hines-Allen, a first-round pick in 2019, had been dominant at times throughout his career but he didn't have as much consistency as the Jaguars would've wanted. It wasn't until 2023 that he put it all together, logging 17.5 sacks and 90 pressures, the sixth-most among pass rushers last year.

Following a career season, Hines-Allen got a contract that made him one of the highest-paid pass rushers in the league. No longer having to worry about his contract status, Hines-Allen can work toward becoming a viable candidate for DPOY honors and help the Jags reach their first Super Bowl.

Jaguars DE Josh Hines-Allen is a long shot to be Defensive Player of the Year

Josh Hines-Allen showed in 2023 that he's one of the top rushers in the league and could be even better next season due to the arrival of defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and the presence of defensive end Arik Armstead, who will give a massive boost to the defensive front. That said, competition for Defensive Player of the Year will be tough.

Fellow pass rushers Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, T.J. Watt, and Nick Bosa have been statistically better than Hines-Allen throughout their respective careers. All of them may have a better chance to win the award. On the other hand, Sauce Gardner could also have a shot. He made the Pro Bowl and earned an All-Pro designation in each of his two NFL seasons. Defensive tackle Chris Jones could also be in the mix.

If Hines-Allen wants to have a realistic shot to be the DPOY, he'll probably need to have more than 20 sacks in 2024 and make a handful of splash plays that get the attention of the national media. It will also help if the Jaguars make a deep playoff push. All things considered, it will be a steep hill to climb.

Then again, that Josh Hines-Allen is even in the DPOY conversation goes on to show how much of a difference-maker he is. One thing is certain, the path won't be easy but don't rule him out just yet. A tough road awaits him but he's ready to put in the work to get there, even if his odds don't look that great right now.

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