The slam dunk DC hire that could instantly change the Jets franchise

The New York Jets announced their list of eight candidates for their vacant defensive coordinator job on Friday, and among a group of largely unproven and uninspiring options, one name stood out above the rest.

The Jets' defensive coordinator opening is not seen as a highly appealing job around the league, which is why some were surprised when the team was able to land an interview with Denver Broncos assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard.

The former Jets safety is widely seen as one of the rising stars in the coaching world and feels like a lock for a defensive coordinator job in the near future. He's also notably been very selective with which interviews he takes over the last few seasons.

That’s why it should be viewed as a win that the Jets even got the chance to speak with him. It still seems unlikely that he’s a legitimate candidate — he’s almost certain to have stronger options elsewhere — but landing him would be a major coup for Aaron Glenn’s staff.

Jim Leonhard would be a home-run hire for Aaron Glenn and the Jets

Leonhard began his coaching career at his alma mater, Wisconsin, in 2016, just two years after he retired from the NFL. The last stop in his playing career came with the Cleveland Browns in 2014, where he crossed paths with Glenn, who was then the team's assistant defensive backs coach.

Leonhard would incredibly be promoted to defensive coordinator after just one season as an assistant coach, a pattern that has repeated throughout his coaching journey to this point.

The former NFL safety spent six years as a defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, consistently leading one of the best defenses in college football. It was then that he started to appear on the radar of numerous NFL teams.

Leonhard would ultimately make the leap to the NFL in 2024, joining Sean Payton's staff as the team's defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. But again, after just one year on the staff, Payton promoted him to the role of assistant head coach.

Leonhard checks all the boxes teams look for in a candidate. He has high-level defensive coordinator experience, calling plays for a stout Big Ten defense for over half a decade. He even coached Wisconsin to a 4-3 record as interim head coach following the firing of Paul Chryst in 2022.

He also has plenty of ties to the organization. Of course, Leonhard spent three years with the Jets from 2009 to 2011, where he was a part of some of the best defenses in franchise history. He crossed over with Darren Mougey in Denver and has history with Glenn dating back to 2014.

Still, it's hard to imagine that Leonhard would leave a great situation in Denver for a less-than-stellar opportunity with the Jets, especially with teams like the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys showing interest.

Glenn's uncertain future status, combined with a defense bereft of talent and a lack of job security, means that the Jets likely won't be able to land any of the top candidates this coaching cycle, which is why someone like Wink Martindale appears to be emerging as the odds-on favorite.

But if the Jets were somehow able to land an in-person interview with Leonhard and convince him to take the job, it wouldn’t be hyperbole to say the hire could change the entire complexion of the organization.

It would show that Glenn still has some pull around the league and that the Jets are a desired destination, all while landing the Jets arguably the best defensive coordinator candidate on the market.

Is it likely? Of course not. But we can dream, right?