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Josh Allen: 5 things to know about the Jaguars' 2019 top draft pick

By Action Sports Jax
By Action Sports Jax

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — JOSH ALLEN: Jaguars add to defense by drafting Kentucky's Josh Allen

Josh Allen and his family are headed to Duval!

Who is Josh Allen, the outside linebacker picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft?

Jaguars Head Couch Doug Marrone said after picking Josh Allen: “To get a player like him at 7 is helpful, it’s good for us. ...There’s still a lot of work ahead with the rest of the draft picks.”

Here are some quick facts about Allen:

1. Allen did not miss a game in his four-year college career with Kentucky

He played in all 51 games with 35 starts, totaling 224 tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 31.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, two FFs and eight passes defensed. In 2018, Allen had a team-high 88 tackles, 17.0 sacks, 21.5 TFL and five forced fumbles, earning consensus first-team All-America honors and SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

2. He got married to his fiancee Kaitlyn just days before the draft

Allen and his wife are parents to Wesley, who turned 1 in January. The two also got engaged in January, just days after UK beat Penn State in the Citrus Bowl. Allen said the two are not taking a honeymoon right away.

“No,” Allen said, drawing it out. “No, that’s later down the road. We’re trying to get paid now. We’re grinding.”

3. Allen was on an individualized education plan in elementary school for speech therapy

Allen eventually assimilated into the regular classroom setting. According to an NFL.com article, Allen had a stutter as a child and learned many years later that he had ADHD. Allen said he looks back on those classes positively from an educational standpoint.

"They would try to get me all the way through the alphabet, just saying letters, without a stutter," Allen said. "We would play speech games, too. I worked hard at it, and it was the best thing for me."

4. He's ready to help build up "Sacksonville"

Before the draft, Allen talked to Action Sports Jax about his visit to Jacksonville and what he told the Jags' brass about how he could contribute:

"When I got off the airplane in Jacksonville, I was welcomed by a big sign, 'Sacksonville.' ... I said, 'if y'all like sacks, then you know what I mean, I'm the guy."

5. His defensive teammates are stoked to have him on the team

Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey, whose fifth-year option was picked up by the team on Thursday, tweeted out a text exchange shortly after the pick showing messages between he and Allen two weeks ago in which Ramsey told Allen he was the best player in the draft.

Defensive end Calais Campbell, the "mayor of Sacksonville," told Allen on Twitter, "WE. ARE. GONNA. EAT!!!!!"

Cox Media Group

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