Ranking Jaguars coaching candidates: Who's the best option to replace Doug Pederson?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have wasted no time looking for Doug Pederson's replacement. One day after his ousting, the organization put in six different requests for interviews with potential candidates for the opening.

One day later, later, the Jags announced that they had put in a request to interview Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

As of this writing, the Jags have been given the thumbs up to meet with three of their candidates: Ben Johnson, Robert Saleh, and Aaron Glenn. More names could be added to their potential list. After all, general manager Trent Baalke told the local media on Black Monday that the team will run a thorough search.

But for the sake of the argument, let's say Jacksonville will exclusively set its sights on these seven coaches. Which is the best to replace Pederson? With that in mind, here's a ranking of the six current candidates for the Jaguars' opening.

7. Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

For the sake of transparency, Brian Flores didn't land at No. 7 because he was the last candidate to be added to the Jaguars' wish list. Rather, he's already had at shot at coaching his own team and came crashing down.

Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019-2021. Leaving aside that he failed to win many games, his relationship with quarterback Tua Tagovailao progressively deteroriated. That's doesn't inspire much optimism when you take into account that he would be entrusted with turning Trevor Lawrence into a top-quarterback.

Compounding the issue is that former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played for Flores and didn't have too many good things to say. You be the judge.

Granted, Flores has rebuild his stock leading the Minnesota defense, but being a head coach goes beyond thriving on your side of the ball: You must manage all aspects of the team and Flores showed that wasn't capable of doing so in Miami.

Jacksonville deserves credit for leaving no stone unturned, but they should most definitely temper their expectations when it comes to Flores.

6. Patrick Graham, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator

Patrick Graham got his start as a coach in the NFL with the New England Patriots. He began to turn heads when he was the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins and later the New York Giants. While his unit was never been among the best in the NFL, he earned praise for his creative play design. That led Josh McDaniels to bring him with him when he became the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.

McDaniels eventually got the boot in the middle of the 2023 season, but Graham stayed even when Antonio Pierce became the interim and later head coach full-time last year. While the Raiders struggled to win games, the defense stood up.

This is surprising when you take into account that they lost defensive end Maxx Crosby, and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, two of their best players. Leaving aside Las Vegas' winning record, Graham's biggest drawback is probably that his unit in New York or the desert, regardless of the talent, has never made the top-5.

5. Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator

Lamar Jackson has become the ultimate dual-threat and some of that is due to Todd Monken. While the former Lousiana Cardinal wasn't dreadful under Greg Roman, he wasn't that great a passer. Sure, he was the NFL's MVP in 2019 but had yet to hit his stride as a passer. He did once he began to play under Monken's tutelage.

With Monken's leading the way, Jackson already won another MVP award and has a strong case to earn a third after the 2024 campaign. But aside from the star quarterback, the Baltimore offensive coordinator also turned Zay Flowers into a Pro Bowl receiver. If that wasn't enough, running back Derrick Henry enjoyed a career revival after joining the Ravens, nearly logging 2,000 yards rushing.

The bottom line is that the Ravens have one of the best offenses in the league because of Monken. Then again, he's never had a shortage of talent to work with. Similarly, he has never had experience as a head coach in the NFL. It will be interesting to see if he can pull off the transition.

4. Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator

After decades of being a bottom-dweller, the Detroit Lions have risen to the top of the NFL the past two years. The transformation started when they hired Dan Campbell as the head coach, and there's no doubt he's the main reason for their success. That said, he wouldn't have done it without top lieutenants Ben Johnson (more on him later) and Aaron Glenn.

While Johnson has turned the Detroit offense into a powerhouse, Glenn has also overseen the improvement of his unit the past few seasons. Having a game-changer such as pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson helps, but the defensive coordinator showed in 2024 that even without him, and despite injuries, he'll have his group ready to go.

The Lions clinched the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC after embarrassing the Minnesota Vikings, another contender, in the finale. Glenn's defense delivered, limiting their division foes to nine points while Detroit scored 31.

3. Robert Saleh, former New York Jets head coach

The Jaguars are lining up coaches with a defensive background because their defense was one of the worst in the league last year despite the fact that they had some talent (albeit with a few glaring holes). This was a bit surprising because Ryan Neilsen said when he was hired that he was going to put an emphasis on fundamentals and technique. The Jaguars defense lacked both attributes last year.

Meanwhile, Robert Saleh has become one of the most respected defensive minds in the NFL. He was the linebackers coach for the Jaguars in 2017. He then bolted for the San Francisco 49ers where he enjoyed plenty of success leading their defense.

Saleh became the head coach of the New York Jets in 2021. He was given the boot in 2024 midseason, and while there are many reasons for his dismissal, having his defense ready wasn't one of them. During his stint in the Big Apple, he turned Quinnen Williams, Sauce Gardner, and Quincy Williams into top-caliber players. Imagine what he could do with the likes of Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and Tyson Campbell in Jacksonville.

2. Liam Coen, Tampa Buccaneers offensive coordinator

You could make the case that Liam Coen is flying under the radar in this hiring cycle, but this is mostly because fellow offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is getting most of the spotlight. Then again, Coen is no consolation prize. Under his watch, the Bucs have fielded a pretty good offense with Baker Mayfield behind center.

Granted, his predecessor, Dave Canales also had success as the Buccaneers offensive coordinator before he became the head coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2024. However, Coen deserves credit for taking the unit to new heights despite the fact that Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin, his two top receivers missed time with injuries last year.

1. Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator

Without a doubt, Ben Johnson is the crown jewel of this coaching cycle, and it looks like he's interested in the Jaguars' opening. Last year, he could've taken the job with the Washington Commanders but opted to return to MotorCity for unfinished business. In retrospect, the decision paid off, as his stock has only gone up even further.

With Johnson at the helm, the Lions have had one of the most creative offenses in the NFL, and he'll find ways to use his players in ways opponents aren't expecting. The Jags could most definitely use some of that creativity, as the offense grew stall under Press Taylor.

On top of that, Johnson could get the most out of Trevor Lawrence, like he did for Jared Goff, who's enjoying a career revival.

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