The Jacksonville Jaguars will be bringing back three candidates for a second round of head coaching interviews.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, one of those candidates is Robert Saleh. For more on Saleh, click here.
Joining Saleh will be Patrick Graham, along with Liam Coen, according to Adam Schefter.
One senior NFL executive would say that Coen had an “outstanding” initial interview with the Jaguars. Coen just finished up his first season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator, orchestrating a highly productive first season.
In addition to the Bucs making the playoffs, Tampa Bay was also the only offense to finish the regular season ranked top-five in passing yards per game and rushing yards per game.
Graham, meanwhile, has been the Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator since 2022.
Under Graham, the Raiders’ defense would rank 26th in scoring in 2022 and 25th in scoring this season. They did, however, rank seventh in that category in 2023. He operates a relatively aggressive scheme with the Raiders ranking top-12 in blitz rate in two of the last three seasons.
Graham’s coaching background is working with the linebackers and the defensive line.
Of the three candidates returning for interviews, two are defensive play-callers–Graham and Saleh–while Coen is the lone offensive play-caller.
Admittedly, quarterback Trevor Lawrence said he is biased towards an offensive play-caller given his position, but ultimately what he wants is someone who can be a leader, set the culture, and give the Jaguars an identity.
