Following the first round of interviews for the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator position, the Gang Green faithful were less than enthused with the crop of candidates.
Of the names included, only Wink Martindale and Jim Leonard are widely known to fans, with only Martindale having multiple years of success as an NFL play-caller.
Here’s the full list of candidates announced by the team on Friday:
Matt Araujo (Dolphins cornerbacks coach)
Ephraim Banda (Browns safeties coach)
Demarcus Covington (Packers defensive line coach and run game coordinator)
Chris Harris (Jets defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator/interim defensive coordinator)
Daronte Jones (Vikings defensive pass game coordinator)
Jim Leonhard (Broncos assistant head coach and defensive coordinator)
Wink Martindale (Michigan defensive coordinator)
Jim O’Neil (Lions defensive assistant)
While fans may not be ecstatic about the list of names, other teams around the league share in the Jets’ interest. That should provide new context for the organization moving forward.
Jets’ coordinator targets are not unique
Despite the perception that New York’s list of candidates is underwhelming, the fact of the matter is that another NFL organization is targeting many of the same coaches.
The Dallas Cowboys are one of three teams with a defensive coordinator vacancy, along with the Jets and the Washington Commanders. After trading Micah Parsons before the season, the Cowboys’ defense was even worse than the Jets’ through the 2025 regular season.
Dallas has since interviewed Leonhard, Jones, Banda, and Covington as part of their process to find a new coordinator. That makes four of the eight names the Jets have already spoken to.
It’s a reminder that the Jets are barking up the right trees when it comes to finding a new defensive play-caller. The more other teams are interested in common candidates, the greater the chance that the inevitable person hired was the right man for the job.
This doesn’t mean Leonhard, Jones, Banda, or Covington are going to be hired by Gang Green. But a strong process is important in the NFL, especially when it comes to hiring coaches. The Jets interviewing names of interest to other teams means their process is on the right track.
That’s the first step to improving across the board.