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 Travis Register-Imagn Images

Jaguars' Josh Hines-Allen Proves His Value Once Again

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 10:46 AM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars' defense hit some big strides in 2025, led by a familiar face.

Star defensive end Josh Hines-Allen was once again the best player on the Jaguars' defense, leading the team in sacks and making plays week in and week out to fuel the Jaguars' defensive resurgence. As a result, Hines-Allen has landed on a top list.

Hines-Allen's Ranking

Pro Football Focus recently took a look at their top-101 players from the 2025 season, and Hines-Allen cracked the list at No. 49, landing him in front of other impressive names like Nico Collins, Derwin James, Laremy Tunsil, Drake London, and others.

"Allen produced a PFF pass-rush grade above 80.0 for the third straight season. He racked up 100 pressures in the regular season and playoffs, setting a career high and ranking tied for second among all edge defenders," PFF said.

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Hines-Allen set the franchise record in career sacks with a 14-yard sack of QB Justin Herbert in his 100th career game. Hines-Allen surpassed DE Tony Brackens (55.0) in seven fewer games played.

Hines-Allen recorded 49 tackles, 28 quarterback hits, 12 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks and three passes defensed in 2025. He ranked top 10 in the NFL in both QB pressures (tied-fourth) and QB hits (28 - tied-sixth) in 2025. In short, it was another fantastic year for the Jaguars' franchise player.

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Hines-Allen is the most important piece of the Jaguars' defense moving forward, which has been the case for most of his career. The two-time Pro Bowler was the driving force of the Jaguars' pass-rush and their ultimate leap forward under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. With Hines-Allen returning once again in 2026, the Jaguars must now figure out more ways to build the defensive front around him and former No. 1 pick Travon Walker.

Perhaps most importantly, Hines-Allen also serves as one of the most respected voices of the locker room. A five-time captain, Hines-Allen has taken younger pass-rushers under his wing ever since Calais Campbell did it for him as a rookie in 2019.

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“Ever since I've been drafted Josh, like I always said, he's been one of those guys when I first came in, just teaching me a lot of the things. Because obviously he's been in the league longer than I have, just teaching me some of the things that he had to experience throughout his process," Walker said during the season.

"And obviously having somebody on the other side of you that's willing to compete with you at practice day in, day out, not just on the field but off the field. He wants me to be a better person as well. But when it comes to on the field things, we both have that mindset to where we’re not going to be out worked, whether we’re working against each other, where we’re working against our other players that play defensive end or whatever."

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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