John Harbaugh has an eye for talent, especially defensive-coaching talent, so fans of the New York Giants should be intrigued to see what happens next.
The Giants are being linked to a pair of highly sought-after defensive-coordinator candidates, Daronte Jones and Dennard Wilson, who spent time on the staffs of the Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans in 2025.
The Giants, of course, were one of the NFL’s worst defensive teams in 2025, finishing 28th in overall defense (359.5 yards-against per game) and 26th in points-against per game (25.8). Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was fired by the Giants on Nov. 24.
Harbaugh was named Giants head coach Monday, replacing Brian Daboll, who was fired Nov. 10, and interim coach Mike Kafka, who is unlikely to be retained by the organization.
Dennard Wilson Was The Tennessee Titans Defensive Coordinator in 2025
Giants fans may be leery of taking a Titans castoff, especially since Tennessee hired a defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh and did not retain Wilson.
But Wilson oversaw the Tennessee defense, which ranked 28th in the NFL in points-against per game (28.1) despite finishing 21st in overall defense.
But part of the Titans’ defensive struggles were fatigue related, since they were on the field for the eighth-most time of possession during the regular season. Still, the Titans were a respectable 15th in the league in run defense, and Wilson oversaw the NFL’s No. 2 overall defense in his first year as Titans defensive coordinator, 2024.
Wilson has ties to the Greater New York area too, since he was the New York Jets defensive-backs coach for four seasons under then-head coach Todd Bowles from 2017-20.
He also has a connection to Harbaugh, since Wilson was the Baltimore Ravens DBs coach for one year in 2023. In his single year there, Baltimore finished sixth in the NFL in pass defense (191.9) and first in points-against per game (16.5), and the Ravens reached the AFC Championship Game.
Daronte Jones Was On The Minnesota Vikings’ Defensive Staff and Is Likely To Land A Defensive Coordinator Role This Cycle
Jones is one of the hottest potential defensive coordinator candidates on the market this cycle, and according to Dan Graziano of ESPN, he had another DC job interview on the same day the Giants spoke with him.
“Vikings’ defensive passing game coordinator Daronte Jones is scheduled to interview today with both the Packers and the Giants for their open defensive coordinator jobs,” Graziano shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
Graziano also connected Jones with the Jets, since their defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was let go by Aaron Glenn earlier this offseason, and Dallas Cowboys before they hired Christian Parker on Thursday.
Jones worked under Brian Flores, since he has been the Vikings defensive pass game coordinator under the uber-aggressive Minnesota DC since Flores went there in 2023. He has been a defensive coordinator previously too, for LSU in 2021 under then-coach Ed Orgeron, though the Tigers went 6-6 and allowed 26.6 points per game which led to Oregeron being fired.
Still, under Jones, the Vikings ranked second in the NFL in pass defense (158.5 yards-against per game) behind only the Buffalo Bills. Plus, Giants fans will surely love the aggressive style he’d bring as a Flores disciple.
Giants Connected to 2 Highly Touted Defensive Coordinator Candidates