NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When Josh Allen got off the plane in Jacksonville for his pre-draft visit to the Jaguars, he was welcomed by a “Sacksonville” sign that caught his attention.
“I went in there and said, ‘If y’all like sacks, then I’m the guy that got it,’ ” Allen said.
Once the Giants passed on the Montclair, N.J.-bred pass rusher at No. 6 in Thursday’s first round, his initiation into Sacksonville became official when the Jaguars drafted him with the No. 7 pick.
Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars’ executive vice president of football operations, reaped the rewards of his old team reaching for quarterback Daniel Jones and added another weapon to the defense that was one of the most dangerous units in the NFL in 2017 before a down year last season. In his senior year at Kentucky, Allen piled up 17 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss while being named the country’s top defensive player.
Coughlin did not believe Allen would be there for the taking by the time the Jaguars drafted, but was pleasantly surprised.
“As it was coming down, there were a number of picks in front of us where we thought he would go … but when he fell to us he was a superior football player and too good of a player to possibly pass up,” Coughlin told reporters Thursday night in Jacksonville.
“It was very, very likely that the Giants were going to take the quarterback. … I know in studying it that Daniel Jones was going to be very high on the Giants list, but still you had [Dwayne] Haskins, Jones, you had quarterback versus some other position. The Giants also needed a pass rusher, but obviously they made the move to get the guy they wanted and took the quarterback at number six.”
The Jaguars also needed a quarterback entering the offseason, but took care of that by signing Nick Foles to a four-year, $88 million contract. It allowed them to add to a position of strength, where Allen will join the likes of Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue.
Allen thought about entering the draft after his junior year, but said the birth of his son, Wesley, convinced him to finish his career at Kentucky. It resulted in a rise up draft boards.
Meanwhile, Wesley stole the show Thursday night. He was sitting on his dad’s lap in the green room, watching “Monsters University” on the phone, when Allen got the call from the Jaguars. Wesley later joined Allen on the stage when he shook hands with commissioner Roger Goodell.
“I would have never been in this situation last year,” Allen said. “I decided I am glad I came back to further myself as a person and as a player, as well.”