Daronte

Jones

Jones booked no less than six interviews for defensive coordinator vacancies in the past two weeks, ultimately landing with the Commanders. Details of the signing are not yet available. Jones had a significant hand in a Minnesota defense that held opponents to the fewest pass yards per game in 2025 and now gets his first shot at defensive play calling duties in the Nation’s capitol.

Jones has had several DC interviews since the season ended, though some of those openings have since been filled. The Vikings ranked seventh in points per game allowed this year and led the league in passing yards per game allowed. Jones has primarily coached in Minnesota since joining the professional ranks, but does have stints with the Dolphins and Bengals. Having learned from Brian Flores in Minnesota for a few seasons, Jones should land a DC job sooner rather than later.

Jones is a popular name on the coaching circuit this month. After coaching a Minnesota secondary that allowed the fewest pass yards per game in 2025 (159) along with the NFL’s third lowest drop back success rate, Jones has landed interviews with the Giants and Jets for their defensive coordinator openings. The Packers are widely expected to interview many candidates to fill their DC vacancy after the Dolphins hired Jeff Hafley as their head coach this week. Jones, 47, would take over a Green Bay defense that gave up the league’s tenth highest EPA per play in 2025 if he’s hired.

Jones has drawn a lot of interest this coaching cycle after contributing to a defense that allowed the fewest pass yards per game in 2025 at only 158.5. That was also part of the reason the Vikings faced one of the highest rush rates over expectation during the regular season. All of the interest in Jones has come for defensive coordinator vacancies, which makes sense considering the highest position he has held at the NFL level came in 2025 when he added defensive pass game coordinator to his resume.

It was part of an announcement of eight names that the Jets had preliminary interviews with, those other names are: Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda, Packers defensive run game coordinator DeMarcus Covington, Vikings defensive passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Daronte Jones, Broncos assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard, internal Jets DB coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Harris, and Lions safeties coach Jim O’Neil. (Mathieu Araujo, the Dolphins cornerbacks coach, was also revealed earlier today.) Martindale hasn’t had any outside interest since last offseason, when he interviewed for the Falcons and Colts defensive coordinator roles.

It’s an in-person interview and Jones’ second with the team, cementing him as either a finalist or semi-finalist depending on how long the Cowboys want to drag this out. Jones has an interesting ascension case to be Vikings defensive coordinator if Brian Flores leaves, so he seems to have good odds of coming out of this cycle with a coordinator job.

The process for moving past fired DC Matt Eberflus is in its opening stages. Jones, 47, hasn’t called plays for a defense since his brief stint as LSU defensive coordinator in 2021. He does have plenty of high-level defensive experience and specializes in defensive back play, which makes him a good thought for a Cowboys back seven that figures to have a lot of turnover this offseason.

Jones now has two defensive coordinator interview requests. Good for him. He is also considered a candidate to replace Vikings DC Brian Flores, if were Flores to leave the Vikings’ organization for another opportunity.

Jones was initially hired by the Vikings to coach only the defensive backs in 2022. They added defensive pass game coordinator to his title in 2023. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert believes Jones “would be on a very short list to replace Brian Flores as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, if Flores departs.”

Jones also interviewed with the Jaguars and Bears this offseason after serving as the pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach for the Vikings for the previous three seasons. The 2024 version of the Minnesota defense held opponents to 6.5 yards per pass attempt, ranking 11th in the league, while also leading the league with 24 interceptions. Jones was first linked to the Saints on Thursday.