The New York Jets’ search for a new defensive coordinator is in action.

New York requested an interview with their first candidate for the role: Daronte Jones, the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive pass game coordinator.

What does Jones bring to the table as a candidate for the job? Let’s unpack his resume on the first Sunday without Jets football since September, shall we?

NFL job history

  • Assistant defensive backs coach, Miami Dolphins (2016-2017)
  • Cornerbacks coach, Cincinnati Bengals (2018-2019)
  • Defensive backs coach, Minnesota Vikings (2020)
  • Defensive backs coach, Minnesota Vikings (2022)
  • Defensive pass game coordinator, Minnesota Vikings (2023-present)

Jones, 47, spent 14 years working his way up the college coaching ranks before joining the Dolphins’ organization as an assistant DB coach.

Ahead of the 2021 season, Jones left the Vikings to join LSU as their defensive coordinator. After a one-year stint in Baton Rouge, he returned to the Vikings as their DBs coach in 2022, before being promoted to their defensive pass game coordinator in 2023.

Play-calling resume

Jones has only one year of experience as a play-caller, and it came at the college level, having served as LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021.

Jones’ unit allowed 377.5 yards per game, ranking 64th among 130 FBS schools, while their 26.6 points allowed per game ranked 70th.

The 47-year-old primarily operated a 4-3 base defense that year, featuring four down linemen and three linebackers.

After the firing of head coach Ed Orgeron, who brought Jones on, he was not brought back for a second year.

Defensive results

Over the past three seasons as the Vikings’ defensive pass game coordinator, Jones’ secondary has been dominant against the pass.

Here is where they ranked in FTN Fantasy’s pass-defense DVOA metric since 2023.

  • 2023: 10th (1.7%)
  • 2024: 1st (-12.8%)
  • 2025: 3rd (-16.3%)

Beyond pass-defense DVOA, the Vikings’ defense set the standard across the NFL in 2025, leading the league in interceptions (24), passes defended (95), and interception rate (3.8%), while also sharing the top spot in total takeaways with 33.

Jones has become an indispensable figure on defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ staff in Minnesota. His influence is such that around the league, he’s often mentioned as the next man up should Flores secure a head-coaching opportunity this hiring cycle.

Player development track record

Damone Clark, LB, LSU

Under Jones’ watch in his lone season at LSU, Damone Clark earned second-team All-America honors and was selected as a finalist for the Butkus Award, which goes to the nation’s best linebacker.

During that year, Clark set a career high in multiple major statistical categories, such as solo tackles, sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions, pass deflections, and forced fumbles. He led LSU in tackles and was widely viewed as one of the top linebackers in the SEC that season.

Clark went on to be selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. In four NFL seasons, Clark has played 55 games with 26 starts.

Camryn Bynum, S, Vikings

With Jones overseeing the Vikings’ secondary, third-year safety Camryn Bynum, a former fourth-round pick, delivered the most productive season of his career in 2023.

He finished with 137 tackles, marking the highest tackle total by any defensive back in the NFL that season. Bynum added nine pass breakups and three forced fumbles, and matched his NFL career-high with two interceptions.

Byron Murphy Jr., CB, Vikings

Joining the Vikings for his fifth NFL season in 2023, Byron Murphy Jr. has reached new heights under Jones’ coaching.

In 2024, the former second-round pick earned his first Pro Bowl appearance with career-best production across the board. Murphy finished the season with highs in tackles (81), tackles for loss (six), interceptions (six), and passes defensed (14), emerging as one of the league’s most disruptive defensive backs.

His 14 pass deflections placed him in rare company as one of just two players in 2024 to post at least six interceptions and 14 pass breakups, alongside Marlon Humphrey of the Baltimore Ravens.

Compatibility with Aaron Glenn’s system

Jones’ background lines up cleanly with head coach Aaron Glenn’s core defensive principles. This is critical, as “synergy” is a word that Glenn emphasized when discussing what he wants in a new defensive coordinator.

At LSU and in Minnesota, Jones has operated in man-heavy systems with match elements, asking defensive backs to press and compete at the catch point rather than rely heavily on zone coverage, as former Jets DC Steve Wilks did.

Jones could certainly be a viable option to serve as the Jets’ next defensive coordinator. His schematic philosophy aligns with Glenn’s, while his secondaries in Minnesota have been dominant.