The 20 most important Jaguars for 2019 season: No. 13 Josh Allen

Jaguars 1st round pick will fill role vacated by Dante Fowler

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.Over the next 20 days, News4Jax will count down the 20 most important figures to the Jaguars' success in the 2019 season. 

It was a huge surprise when Josh Allen was still available with the No. 7 pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Pass rusher may not have been the Jaguars most pressing need but they couldn’t pass on the SEC defensive player of the year. 

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Position: Defensive end

2018 Stats (Sr. season at Kentucky): 88 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and 5 forced fumbles

2019 Projection: A knee bruise limited Allen to only one day of full participation during the offseason program. The good news is that he’ll have no limitations when training camp opens later this month. 

Allen played outside linebacker at Kentucky but defensive coordinator Todd Wash made it very clear that Allen will be a defensive end for the Jaguars. Although Allen likely won’t be a starter, he’ll fill a role similar to the one Dante Fowler Jr. did before being traded to the L.A. Rams. 

On pass rushing downs, Allen will line up opposite of fellow defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. On paper, the combination of Allen, Ngakoue, Calais Campbell and Marcell Dareus has the chance to be the best front-four pass rushing unit in the NFL. 

Allen will be asked to do even more if Ngakoue’s contract dispute extends into the start of the regular season.  

Wash on Josh Allen’s ability to drop in coverage: “He did a real nice job of dropping in college.  I honestly can’t say being a d-line coach that I get to excited about a 15-sack guy dropping into coverage. Hopefully you won’t see too damn much of that.”