PFF: Jaguars' Josh Allen Among NFL's Best Pass-Rushers on True Pass Sets

The Jaguars' star pass-rusher earned some high praise from Pro Football Focus.

There is no questioning how important the 2023 season is for Jacksonville Jaguars' pass-rusher Josh Allen.

The fifth-year veteran and former first-round pick is looking to make a splash this season in hopes of earning a big pay-day. But according to Pro Football Focus, Allen's game may not have to elevate as much as some think.

In a ranking of the NFL's best pass-rushers in true pass sets -- pass sets that don't involve play action, screens and RPOs -- Allen is ranked No. 4, behind just Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, and Haason Reddick.

"Allen is one of the most underrated edge defenders in the league and has quickly become the star of the Jaguars' defense. His fumble recovery for a touchdown in Week 18 against Tennessee for the AFC South helped Jacksonville reach wild-card weekend, where the team pulled off a historic come-from-behind playoff victory against the Chargers. Allen, like Haason Reddick, was also tied for third with 35 hurries on the quarterback against true pass sets. Allen ranked second behind Nick Bosa with 14 quarterback hits on true pass sets, as well," PFF said.

"Allen is coming off his best season as a pro, as his career-high 84.7 PFF grade ranked 10th among edge defenders. Despite posting only seven sacks, Allen notched career highs in total pressures (77), quarterback hurries (49) and quarterback hits (21). He even posted a career-high 83.0 run-defense grade that ranked third among all edges. Allen was one of just three edge defenders to play more than 1,000 snaps, and he was also one of five edge defenders to drop into coverage 100 or more times. The former seventh-overall selection has improved his grades every season in the NFL, and now he is up for a substantial payday."

As for Allen's own assessment of his play, he said during minicamp practices that he reviewed his 2022 season and deemed it not good enough. While Allen was largely productive last season, it appears there is another level of his game he believes he can tap into.

"My individual growth last year wasn't good enough," Allen said.

"Just the tape that I watched. You've got to be real critical of yourself. ... I watched all the games and I was real critical and I knew I needed to not put that out there no more; I wanted to prioritize that, and that was my main focus all season, is really to work on that and to grow as a player overall."

The No. 7 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Allen came in fourth in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2019, earning a nod as a Pro Bowl alternate as he set a Jaguars rookie record in sacks (10.5) while recording 11 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback hits, along with two forced fumbles. He became the first Jaguars rookie to ever appear in the Pro Bowl.

Allen appeared in eight games in 2020, recording 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits. He then appeared in 16 games in 2021, recording 7.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception.

Last year, Allen led the Jaguars with seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 22 quarterback hits, along with four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including a fumble recovery for a touchdown.