Raiders remain the biggest threat to Jaguars in the Ben Johnson sweepstakes

The Jacksonville Jaguars are running an extensive search to find a replacement for head coach Doug Pederson. They've set their sights on several intriguing candidates, but there's no doubt that Ben Johnson is the best of the bunch. Fortunately for the Jags, he appears to be interested in their opening. That said, they need to worry about the Las Vegas Raiders potentially swooping in and luring him away.

Johnson is the crown jewel of this hiring cycle, but it looks like it's coming down to either Jacksonville or the Raiders, without a clear frontrunner. The Chicago Bears were also seen as legitimate candidates to land the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator early in the process.

However, there hasn't been much buzz about Johnson going to the Bears recently. Things could change at any time, though. For the time being, there are conflicting reports about who's got the leg up in the race.

On the one hand, you have Jeff Darlington of ESPN reports that the Jags have the best opening and Johnson is intrigued by it, pointing out that it may not be his preferred destination, but he's interested.

"Now, the Jaguars, this is I want you to listen carefully here, because I keep hearing from coaching candidates that this is actually the most coveted job right now, and I think It's going under the radar. And I keep hearing that Ben Johnson actually has his eyes squarely on that Jaguars position."

Jeff Darlington via Sports Illustrated

Darlington makes it clear that he doesn't know whether Jacksonville is Johnson's top choice, but he's certainly interested. On the other hand, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media says that the Lions offensive coordinator is the leading candidate for the Raiders job.

"Ben Johnson sounds like he would be a top candidate in a lot of places. The people who are associated with the Raiders' job, I'm talking other candidates, I'm talking agents, people around the NFL," Rapoport said. "There does seem to be an acknowledgment that Ben Johnson is the leading candidate, and there's a lot of people who think he's getting it.

Rapoport notes that Las Vegas hasn't done the requirements and the process is still ongoing, but it "does seem like that is the direction that it is heading." Below is the clip.

Similarly, Vinny Bonsignore of The Las Vegas Review-Journal says a lot of momentum is building for Johnson in Las Vegas.

Both teams have already interviewed Johnson for their respective opening, but neither has met with him face-to-face. And between now and then many things could change.

The Jaguars must get rid of Trent Baalke to get the edge over the Raiders

Overall, the Jacksonville Jaguars are a better destination than the Las Vegas Raiders. They have more draft picks, plenty of cap space, and a quarterback in place. That said, the Silver & Black has the edge in one key area.

While the Jags chose to keep general manager Trent Baalke around, Las Vegas dismissed Tom Telesco, which would allow Ben Johnson to bring in someone whose vision is aligned with his. This is important because there's been chatter that Jacksonville may not be as appealing due to Baalke, who's known as someone who's difficult to work with. Johnson would not have such an issue with the Raiders, as their general manager position remains vacant.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan has made it clear that he remains open to adjusting to whatever requests candidates have, and that includes dismissing Baalke. However, he should've dismissed him when he gave head coach Doug Pederson the boot.

Either way, the Jags remain in the thick of the Ben Johnson sweepstakes. However, Baalke must go if they have the best possible chance to land him.

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