Ranking Wink Martindale and the Jets’ 8 defensive coordinator candidates

The New York Jets’ search for a new defensive coordinator officially heated up on Friday after a slow-moving couple of weeks. After firing Steve Wilks midway through the season, the Jets have moved, let's call it deliberately, through the early stages of the hiring process, opting not to rush a decision.

On Friday, the team officially announced the eight candidates they brought in for a first round of virtual interviews, a group that includes veteran coordinators, rising assistants, and a familiar in-house option.

With the list now public, the focus shifts to how these candidates stack up against one another, and who makes the most sense for the Jets as they prepare to narrow the field and move toward in-person interviews in the coming days.

Who is the Jets' best defensive coordinator candidate? Who is their worst? Let's take a closer look at each candidate.

Ranking every New York Jets defensive coordinator candidate

8. Jim O'Neil - Defensive Assistant (Detroit Lions)

Jim O’Neil has a preexisting relationship with Aaron Glenn that dates back more than a decade to their time together in Cleveland, when O’Neil served as the Browns’ defensive coordinator. The two later reunited in Detroit, where Glenn hired O’Neil as a defensive assistant on the Lions’ staff in 2024.

There really isn't any evidence to support O’Neil as a serious candidate, however. His two prior stints as an NFL defensive coordinator came over a decade ago and were widely unsuccessful. He was out of football after a failed stint as Northwestern's DC before Glenn saved his career in 2024.

It’s been four years since O’Neil last held a coaching role of real significance at any level. He should not be viewed as a legitimate option for the Jets’ job.

7. Chris Harris - Interim Defensive Coordinator (New York Jets)

Chris Harris is well respected inside the Jets building and could have a future as an NFL defensive coordinator down the line. But much like O'Neil, he's not someone the Jets should seriously consider.

Harris was promoted to interim defensive coordinator after the firing of Steve Wilks in mid-December, and his Jets defense combined to allow a whopping 106 points over the final three games of the season.

To be fair, Harris was tasked with coaching a defense filled with non-NFL players like Samuel Womack, Ja’Sir Taylor, Khalen Saunders, Jordan Clark, and Braiden McGregor. Even so, the optics of running it back with him as defensive coordinator would be disastrous, to say the least.

6. Mathieu Araujo - Cornerbacks Coach (Miami Dolphins)

Perhaps the least-known candidate on this list, Mathieu Araujo joined the Miami Dolphins as assistant defensive backs coach in 2022 and has been the team's cornerbacks coach over the last two seasons.

Araujo managed to get respectable production from a Miami cornerback group that appeared severely overmatched on paper entering the year. The likes of Rasul Douglas and Jack Jones were surprisingly passable under his tutelage.

He also worked closely with Vic Fangio during the veteran's lone year as Miami's DC in 2023. Still, this is someone who was coaching at Yale just a few years ago — it feels early for him to receive a defensive coordinator opportunity.

5. Wink Martindale - Former Defensive Coordinator (Michigan)

Wink Martindale is perhaps the most notable name on the Jets' defensive coordinator list, and perhaps an early favorite for the job, but that doesn't mean he's the most appealing option.

Martindale enjoyed significant success as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator and drew some praise for his work with the Giants, but it’s been quite some time since he last operated as a truly high-level NFL coordinator.

His stint as Michigan’s defensive coordinator was underwhelming, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore that his scheme feels dated in today’s NFL. Still, Martindale would at least provide a baseline level of competency, even if the Jets should ideally aim higher.

It’s also unlikely that many teams are lining up to offer Martindale a defensive coordinator job, which makes this feel less like an ideal pairing and more like a marriage of desperation born out of limited options on both sides.

4. DeMarcus Covington - Defensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator (Green Bay Packers)

A longtime Bill Belichick assistant, DeMarcus Covington got his first opportunity as an NFL defensive coordinator with the Patriots in 2024, but was ultimately let go when Jerod Mayo was fired.

Covington didn't have much to work with, but it's safe to say his one-year trial run was underwhelming. The Patriots ranked 22nd in both points and yards allowed before Covington left in the offseason to become the defensive line coach and run game coordinator of the Packers.

Covington is still just 36 years old and already has a season of defensive coordinator experience on his resume. While there may be more appealing options on this list, he wouldn’t be an undeserving choice for the Jets’ job.

3. Ephraim Banda - Safeties Coach (Cleveland Browns)

If there’s one under-the-radar name worth monitoring on this list, it’s likely Ephraim Banda. He brings prior defensive coordinator experience at the college level, having served in that role at both Miami and Utah State, where his defenses enjoyed considerable success.

He's spent the last three seasons working closely under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in Cleveland and has emerged as a popular name in the coaching carousel this offseason.

Banda has already interviewed with both the Jets and Cowboys and is viewed as an internal candidate to replace Schwartz should the longtime NFL coach land the Browns' head coaching job. He would represent a high-upside hire for the Jets and a strong addition to Aaron Glenn’s staff.

2. Daronte Jones - Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach (Minnesota Vikings)

Daronte Jones was the only defensive coordinator interview request reported prior to Friday, and he remains one of the Jets’ most intriguing candidates. He just feels like one of those coaches who is ready for a coordinator opportunity.

Jones has spent the last decade as an NFL assistant, with a brief detour in 2021 to serve as LSU’s defensive coordinator. He’s been with the Vikings since 2022, where he’s emerged as one of the staff’s most trusted assistants.

Jones has become Brian Flores’ right-hand man in Minnesota and is widely viewed as the top internal candidate to replace him should the former Dolphins coach land a head coaching job. He’s a highly regarded candidate who would be an excellent addition to Aaron Glenn’s staff.

1. Jim Leonhard - Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Pass Game Coordinator (Denver Broncos)

Jim Leonhard stands alone as the clear-cut top-tier candidate on the Jets’ defensive coordinator list. He’s been one of the NFL’s most highly regarded assistants in recent years and has long been viewed as a future defensive coordinator — and potential head coach — at the professional level.

He checks all the boxes. Leonhard spent six years as a defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, coaching some of the best defenses in college football. He's since learned under the likes of Sean Payton and Vance Joseph as part of one of the best coaching staffs in the NFL in Denver over the last two years.

Payton admired Leonhard so much that he promoted him to assistant head coach after just one year with the team. Leonhard is likely to have more attractive opportunities elsewhere — potentially even with the crosstown New York Giants — but it’s notable that the Jets were at least able to secure an interview with their former safety.