Selected seventh overall out of Kentucky in the 2019 NFL Draft, Josh Hines-Allen arrived in North Florida fresh off a dominant senior season that saw him sweep the Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jack Lambert Trophy, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He made an immediate splash as a rookie, leading all Jaguars pass rushers with 10.5 sacks—a franchise rookie record—to earn PFWA All-Rookie Team honors and become the first rookie in Jacksonville history to earn a Pro Bowl selection.

After a knee injury curtailed his second season, Hines-Allen rebounded to establish himself as the undisputed cornerstone of Jacksonville's defense. Formerly known simply as Josh Allen before changing his surname in 2024 to honor his maternal family legacy, his explosive peak arrived during a historic 2023 campaign. That year, he set a single-season franchise record with 17.5 sacks alongside 17 tackles for loss, 33 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles, earning his second Pro Bowl nod.

Hines-Allen maintained his steady backfield pressure over the next two years, posting identical 8.0-sack campaigns in both 2024 and 2025. During the 2024 season, he reached 50 career sacks and tied Yannick Ngakoue's franchise record with four consecutive seasons of at least 7.0 sacks. He followed that up with an even more impactful 2025 campaign, starting all 17 games, recording 12 tackles for loss, 28 quarterback hits, and racking up 80 total pressures (fourth in the NFL) to power Jacksonville back to a 13–4 record and the AFC South title. Most notably, on November 16, 2025, against the Chargers, he registered his 56th career sack to surpass Tony Brackens as Jacksonville's all-time sack leader. Entering the 2026 season firmly in his prime at age 29, the franchise icon stands as the standard-bearer for Jacksonville's pass rush.

Hines-Allen enters the 2026 season with high expectations for both himself and the Jaguars, and he should substantially add to his 61 sacks and 75 tackles for loss.