JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- We are down to the final two, and there are no surprises.We are almost finished with our annual rankings of the 25-most important Jaguars entering the 2026 season, and today comes the No. 2 spot. To little surprise, the owner of the prestigious spot on the list is none other than a living franchise legend: Josh Hines-Allen. Why Josh Hines-Allen is So ImportantJacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) drills on defensive line coach Matt Edwards during the third day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectTo win in the NFL, you need a pass-rush. The last two Super Bowl champions have each reached the mountain top by getting after the quarterback, and there is no player in the entire history of the Jaguars as a franchise who has done that better than Hines-Allen. The eighth-year pass-rusher set the franchise sack record last year, and he will look to add onto it during the 2026 season.Hines-Allen sets the tone for the entire Jaguars' defense, and he is the name who offensive coordinators and linemen have in their heads the nights before they play the Jaguars. Without Hines-Allen, it is tough to even remember what the Jaguars' defense used to look like. He is the face of the unit, and the heart of the franchise. Josh Hines-Allen's Strengths and Weaknesses Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the second half in an AFC Wild Card Round game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectHines-Allen has impacted the Jaguars' defense at a high level throughout his career because there really are not many things he can not do. He may not be regarded around the league as one of the best run defenders in football, but he is -- he has the ability to chase down plays to the sideline, but he also sets a hard edge and is an impossible blocking assignment for tight ends. As a pass-rusher, Hines-Allen has a variety of tricks and traits that help him get after the quarterback. He creates consistent pressure and year-to-year is one of the most reliable pass-rushers in the entire NFL in terms of simply winning his matchups on passing downs. Whether it is with speed or power, Hines-Allen knows how to get to the quarterback.Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws the ball against Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) in the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConnectIf there is any fault to Hines-Allen's impressive skill-set and career to this point, it is likely the sack total. Hines-Allen averages under 10 sacks a season even if you remove his injury-filled 2020 season, and he has two seasons in which he has hit over eight sacks: 10.5 as a rookie and 17.5 in 2023. These numbers do not tell the full story of how well he impacts the passing game, but finishing sacks is really the only part of his game that can even improve at this point. "I know sacks have been a huge thing in my position. For me, I don't think about it. 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," Hines-Allen said at the start of the offseason program. "That’s what kind of drives me. But again, man, I did a lot of things from last year, knowing things I need to do better, to finish better, and I’m looking to improve on those aspects to get the job done.”