An unexpected name just popped up in the New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator search. Minnesota Vikings assistant Daronte Jones has been in high demand in this coaching cycle, and the Saints have requested an interview with him, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He’s previously met with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and New York Giants for their openings.
Jones, 46, is from Maryland but has developed some strong Louisiana ties. Some of his first coaching jobs in the early 2000s were at Nicholls State and a couple of Louisiana high schools. He also worked as LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021. He’s spent the last few years with the Vikings as their defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. He’s effectively been Brian Flores’ right-hand man on one of the most effective defensive coaching staffs around the league.
There’s been some speculation that a meeting with Jones would just be a move to satisfy the Rooney Rule, and that might be the case. It’s been widely suspected that former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley could be Kellen Moore’s top target (they worked together in L.A.). It might not. While it hasn’t been reported whether the Saints formally requested an interview with him, Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards has also been linked to the search as another minority candidate. NFL rules require interviews with at least one minority candidate for coordinator positions.
So we’ll see. You’d hope the Saints are acting in good faith and looking for the best candidates rather than checking boxes. Either way, the team is going to be busy assembling Moore’s staff in the days and weeks ahead. They need to make up lost ground after being forced to wait until after Super Bowl LIX to get started.