Jags draft Josh Allen with first round draft pick

Jacksonville, FL — With the seventh pick of the 2019 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars have selected linebacker Josh Allen, from the University of Kentucky. The Jags are labeling him as a Defensive End.

Team leadership says they didn’t think Allen was going to drop low enough to be available to them, and he was too good to pass up. Allen says he knows he will be that player they expect.

Allen says when he got the call tonight from Jacksonville, he was excited. He joked that he had to contain that in the moment, but only because he was holding his 1-year-old son who was watching a movie at the time. Asked about what excites him about the Jags specifically, Allen says it’s clear.

“They go after the quarterback. That’s all I need to hear,” he says.

He says he loves to sack. During Allen’s four years at Kentucky, he did not miss a game and started 35 of the 51 he played in. During that college career, he totaled 224 tackles, 41 tackles for a loss, 31.5 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles, according to the Jags.

In 2018, he was awarded both SEC Defensive Player of the Year and as the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Award, which recognizes the nation’s top defensive player.

Allen says he’s ready to work and prove himself to his peers, especially players like Jalen Ramsey who he admired through his college career. He says he thinks he can help make something special in Jacksonville.

The team goes in to the draft having already addressed in the off-season what was arguably their biggest need- a quarterback. They acquired Nick Foles as a free agent, signing him to a four-year deal. Just hours before the draft today they continued to boost defense as well, by exercising the fifth-year option on Ramsey. Allen is now another weapon they're adding to defense.

2019 NFL DRAFT: Where and when to watch

The Jags have seven picks in this draft, including two selections in the third round.

Let us know if you like the pick from the Jags, and what else you want to see them do in the draft by downloading the free News 104.5 app and recording yourself in the “Open Mic” feature!

Allen’s new teammates have been quick to voice their support: