The New York Jets have submitted their first interview request in their search for a new defensive coordinator.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed that the Jets are set to interview Minnesota Vikings passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones.
Schefter also revealed that Jones will interview with the Dallas Cowboys for their vacant DC role.
Before Schefter dropped that news update, ESPN’s Rich Cimini categorized Jones as a “sleeper” candidate to watch during the Jets’ search.
“Daronte Jones, kind of a sleeper name to keep an eye on,” Cimini revealed on the “Flight Deck” podcast.
Shortly after dropping that scoop on the podcast, Cimini’s ESPN teammate @AdamSchefter broke the news that the Jets first interview
Jets Reveal Type They’re Looking for During This Search
Jones won’t be the only person the Jets speak with during this search, but he is the first.
The 47-year-old has an interesting backstory. He has been coaching football since 2001. Over the last quarter-century, Jones has served as a positional coach for 16 years and has held the role of defensive coordinator for eight years.
However, Jones has never held the title of DC at the NFL level.
Since 2016, Jones has been almost exclusively an assistant coach at the NFL level, sans a one-year sabbatical as the defensive coordinator at LSU in 2021.
He has spent five of the last six years with the Vikings in a variety of roles on the defensive side of the ball.
“The secondary played an integral role in Minnesota, leading the NFL in interceptions (24), passes defensed (95), opponent 4th-down conversion percentage (37.1%), and interceptions per attempt (3.8%) and tying for the league lead in takeaways (33) [in the 2024 season]. His unit also helped the Vikings rank second in the NFL in opponent scoring efficiency (31.6%), opponent runs of at least 20 yards (five) and opponents rushing yards per game (93.5),” the Vikings posted on his bio page.
“Minnesota also recorded a takeaway in every regular season game in 2024, marking the most consecutive games with a takeaway in a single season in franchise history, and they were the only team in the NFL with a takeaway in every game. The Vikings’ 24 interceptions were five more than any other team in the league (Houston, 19 interceptions) and tied for the team’s second-most interceptions in a season since 2000 (28 INTs in 2003 and 24 INTs in 2005),” Minnesota also wrote in Jones coach bio.
Jets Are Barking up the Right Tree
If the Jets aren’t going to go after an experienced veteran defensive coordinator, it makes sense to sniff around a successful team.
The NFL is a copycat league. Brian Flores, the Vikings’ defensive coordinator over the last three years, has dominated the game of chess against offensive coaches. Jones is considered one of Flores’ top lieutenants on that side of the ball.
Flores’ contract expired with the Vikings. Technically speaking, he is a coaching free agent. He is garnering interest across the league as a potential head coach and/or as a defensive coordinator for other teams.
“Jones is considered one of the in house favorites to become Minnesota’s DC if Brian Flores was to depart,” a popular Vikings blog posted on social media.
If the Jets can pluck a fruit from that successful coaching tree, that would be a smart pivot after a disastrous 2025 season with Steve Wilks.
Jets Chasing ‘Sleeper’ Vikings Coach for DC Opening: Report