Liam Coen is officially in place as the Jaguars’ head coach. Attention for the team will now turn to filling out the staff, particularly the coordinator positions. 
On the defensive side of the ball, the first candidate (in terms of ones set to speak with the team) has emerged. Jacksonville will interview Daronte Jones for the DC position, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Jones has spent the past three years with the Vikings, serving as their pass game coordinator since 2023.
The 46-year-old’s playing career came to an abrupt end due to injury during his time in college, but he quickly transitioned to coaching. Jones spent time at the high school, CFL and college levels for several years before his first NFL opportunity came with the Dolphins in 2016. Since that time, he has also worked as a positional coach with the Bengals and Vikings.
In between, Jones spent the 2021 season as LSU’s defensive coordinator. While a move to the DC level in the NFL would be unprecedented, he does have some experience in that role. Still, it would come as little surprise if Coen preferred a veteran presence on the sidelines given his status as a rookie head coach with an offensive background.
To that end, it is notable a report from the weekend named Patrick Graham as a top candidate for the Jags’ DC posting. The 46-year-old has been at the helm of the Raiders’ defense for the past three seasons, and he has also worked at the coordinator level with the Giants and Dolphins. That experience stands in stark contrast to that of Jones, but the fact the latter has a meeting lined up means he is likely to receive at least some consideration from Coen and Co.