Ryan Nielsen's strong praise of Josh-Hines Allen should get Jaguars fans excited

Early in training camp, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that defensive end Josh Hines-Allen, along with Travon Walker, will benefit from the changes they made in the offseason. Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen seems to agree, highlighting Hines-Allen's desire to be the best.

Nielsen met with the local media on Day 2 of the training camp and commended Hines-Allen, noting that he'll do what it takes to be great.

"He's a competitor, Nielsen said about Allen. "He really wants it. Putting in the time since he's been here, last couple days. You can really see the intensity the practice yesterday, again, day one. The consistency and things like that we're looking for. But he says all the right things, he wants to be a great player. He wants to have a great defense and a great team. You feel those things as he talk to the guys."

Hines-Allen, the seventh overall pick in 2019, set a franchise record for sacks in a season with 17.5 last year. His 90 total pressures were the sixth-most among pass rushers as well. He's now putting in the work to become a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.

Later in the exchange with the media, Nielsen spoke positively of defensive end Trevis Gipson, who signed a one-year deal with the Jags in free agency.

"Tenacity, toughness. He's got a little bit of twitch. It's really good. You have to have it at that position. Got good length. He's got a good skill set. We've got a little bend and hoop. He can do that. He's he can rush with power. It's a good competition after those couple of guys. Feel good about it, every position group, we've got some competition. So he's fighting, some other guys are right there battling with him. Expect the best out of him in the next few weeks, and we'll really see."

Gipson was a fifth-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2020. He had seven sacks in his sophomore campaign but only three in 2022. He was waived last year and promptly latched onto the Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, he was a non-factor, amassing just one sack while spending several games on the sidelines.

Going back to Doug Pederson's comments, he wasn't only referring to changes to the coaching staff. He was also talking about signing Arik Armstead and using a pair of draft picks on Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson.

Armstead will give the interior defensive line a massive boost. With the former Oregon Duck commanding attention inside, Hines-Allen and Walker will find more favorable matchups on the edge.

Jaguars DEs Josh Hines-Allen and Trevis Gipson are in good hands

Josh-Hines Allen struggled to find consistency after flashing in his rookie season but he should have no trouble building off his 2023 success. In Ryan Nielsen's 4-3 defense, he, Travon Walker, and Trevis Gipson will play with his hand on the ground. Walker, in particular, should benefit from the change as he was at his best at Georgia when he lined up in a three-point stance. Gipson should also thrive in the scheme.

It's also worth noting that Nielsen's area of expertise is the defensive line. He's gotten rave reviews from players in his previous coaching stops, and the Jaguars should be hyped up about where he can take the defense.

All things considered, hiring Ryan Nielsen was one of the best decisions they made in the offseason. Josh Hines-Allen will be one of their many players that will reap the rewards.

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