Jaguars' Josh Hines-Allen Once Again Disrespected in Pass-Rush Rankings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Josh Hines-Allen is one of the greatest Jacksonville Jaguars of all-time and one of the NFL's best defenders since entering the league in 2019, but he is still not getting the love he deserves.

ESPN's annual polling of coaches, scouts, and executives to form top-10 rankings at each position group has come to defensive ends, and to little surprise, the Jaguars' star pass-rusher is still vastly underrated.

Allen's Snub

josh hines-alle — Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the third quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Hines-Allen was not listed on ESPN's rankings, instead being placed in the "honorable mentions" column alongside Jared Verse and Trey Hendrickson. This is an upgrade from a year ago when Hines-Allen simply "received votes", but it is still jarring to see a player who has been so consistently great not receive the recognition that should come with it, year after year.

The blurb on Hines-Allen barely touches the surface, too. ESPN quotes an NFC scout who states, "Not elite but consistently very good, with a quality power-rush game." Not exactly a full-length scouting report for one of the most well-balanced and productive defensive ends in football.

But as we know, sacks and name recognition are king. Hines-Allen has hit double-digit sacks just twice in his career, which means high volume sack players like Aidan Hutchinson and Nik Bonnito are ranked above him despite being several tiers below him as run-defenders, if even in the same stratosphere.

josh allen jaguars — Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) reacts after sacking Tennessee Titans quarterback Brandon Allen (not pictured) during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Then there are players like Nick Bosa, whose injuries have hampered him for years, and T.J. Watt, who is in the top-10 seemingly solely because of his name recognition and what he did four-to-five years ago. Hines-Allen has consistently played second fiddle nationally to both players, such as during a defensive rookie of the year race with Bosa in 2019 and an All-Pro snub in favor of Watt in 2023.

Hines-Allen has done all he can to earn respect around the NFL; he has broken Jaguars records, made plays in all phases of the game, and shown up in big moments on the grandest stages. But for whatever reason, the NFL community as a whole continues to disrespect a player who should be widely considered one of the very best the NFL has to offer.

But to Hines-Allen's credit, he is a keenly self-aware player who knows just how talented and productive he is. He also knows what he has to do for his game to be held in appropriate esteem outside of Duval.

josh allen jaguars sack — Nov 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) sacks Tennessee Titans quarterback Cameron Ward (1) during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I mean, for me, it’s validation, and this can go two ways, you know what I'm saying? Because people can be chasing—everybody should chase greatness. But for me, I've been one of the best guys at my position for the last couple years and I don't get talked about as much," Hines-Allen said at the start of the offseason program in April.

"Again, it's a lot of media, but if you turn the film on, I've been one of the best guys, but the validation of being named with those guys that are—[Texans DE] Will Anderson just got 50 million, being [Browns DE] Myles Garrett, and you hear [Raiders DE] Maxx Crosby, [Steelers LB] T.J. Watt, [49ers DE] Nick Bosa, when you have a list of those guys of who's the best in the league, I want Josh Hines-Allen to be one of those guys that come to the top of the list. And for me, that's just keep producing."

What They Got Wrong

Sacks are always going to be weighted differently than pressures and win-rate, and that is exactly what these rankings got wrong. Hines-Allen might not have as many sacks as others on the list, but he had more pressures than all but three of the players ranked above him and had a higher win-rate than half of the top-10. Add in the fact that he is a stellar run defender, and there is no actual logic when it comes to not including him among the NFL's 10 best.

"I know sacks have been a huge thing in my position. For me, I don't think about it," Hines-Allen said in April. "I've been up here before and I’ve always said, man, that's not a thing that kind of carries me, me turning on the tape and me knowing that I'm whooping the guy in front of me and that guy knowing that as well, and coaches knowing that, coaches knowing I’ve got to play against him. That’s what kind of drives me."

But even in the year in which Hines-Allen went berzerk with sacks in 2023, he was still underrated. Until the rest of the league starts to actually evaluate defensive linemen properly and not just sort them by sack numbers, but instead by overall impact in both phases of the game, then Hines-Allen will remain one of the NFL's most underrated players.

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