As new head coach Liam Coen begins to fill out his coaching staff, the Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly interviewing Daronte Jones for their defensive coordinator opening, according to Tom Pelissero.
Over the last two seasons, Jones has been the defensive passing game coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
Under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings had one of the more stingy and more aggressive defenses in football.
In the secondary, specifically, where Jones coached, the Vikings ranked 13th in yards per pass attempt allowed, first in pass deflections, first in interceptions, and allowed the second-lowest passer rating.
Along with Flores’ blitz-heavy approach on defense, the defensive backs also play a key role in adding to the chaos for the quarterback by disguising their coverage looks on a regular basis.
Jones’ background as a head coach at the NFL level is rooted in the secondary, where he’s been a defensive backs coach with various teams throughout his career.
He did previously hold the defensive coordinator title with LSU during the 2021 season.
How closely–or if at all–Jones’ defensive scheme would look to Flores’ is an unknown, and there will be more interviews to come for this defensive coordinator role.
Ryan Nielsen was the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator for the 2024 season. Jacksonville ranked 27th in points per game allowed and were often picked apart through the air.
On offense, Chip Kelly and Grant Udinski are two names to watch right now for the offensive coordinator opening under Coen.
