Jaguars DC Search: 3 Observations on Hire of Ryan Nielsen

What do we make of the Jaguars hiring former Atlanta Falcons DC Ryan Nielsen?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new defensive coordinator. 

Report: Jaguars Set to Hire Former Falcons Assistant Ryan Nielsen as DC

Former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is now set to lead the Jaguars' defense after his one year in Atlanta, but what do we make of the hire? We break it down below.

The Jaguars made the best possible hire 

Kudos to the Jaguars. They just hired the best possible available defensive coordinator candidate, and it might not be very close. Not only is Nielsen a respected defensive line maestro, but the Falcons' defense improved by leaps and bounds in just one short season under his guidance. Plus, the Jaguars weren't the only team looking at him.

According to league sources, several teams looking for head coaches were interested in speaking with Nielsen about a potential coordinator role, including the Los Angeles Chargers. The Philadelphia Eagles were also rumored to show interest in Nielsen, who also had fans still in Atlanta's organization who wanted to see him return. In short, Nielsen was set to be a coach in very high demand.

As such, it was smart for the Jaguars to move quickly to secure his services. In Jacksonville, he will be given full autonomy of the defense and will have a chance to move up in the league, all while working with a Pro Bowl pass-rusher and a former No. 1 pick who is coming off a 10-sack season.

Which other candidates had a shot? 

With the search now over, it is worth looking back at the Jaguars other six candidates: Marquand Manuel, Wink Martindale, Chris Harris, Shane Bowen, Chris Hewitt, and Ejiro Evero. 

According to team sources with knowledge of the situation, Nielsen was at the top of the Jaguars' list of candidates to start the search and was among the first coaches they attempted to make contact with. Nielsen was seemingly the favorite inside EverBank Stadium from the jump, though the Jaguars did their homework on others while they played the waiting game with the Falcons. 

The three candidates we heard the most buzz on? Martindale, Hewitt, and Manuel. Manuel has coached under Doug Pederson before and team sources have stated that they believed Manuel had a legit shot at the job as a result. Hewitt is viewed as an up-and-coming coach who impressed during his interviews, while Martindale is someone whom several members of the organization have respect for after his years as a big-name coordinator. 

All eyes should now be on the cornerback position

With Nielsen now leading the Jaguars' defense, all eyes should now turn toward the cornerback position. While some may believe the Jaguars can only pour resources into the offensive line this offseason, go ahead and humor us for a moment. 

Nielsen is a press-man scheme coordinator through and through. He will make his adjustments to his roster, of course, but that is what he wants to run. And as things stand today, it is a question of whether the Jaguars have the horses to run his coverage scheme for both the present and the future.

Cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams have always been better in zone than in man, and each is also entering a contract season. Williams especially doesn't fit the mold of a typical press coverage cornerback. As for the future, the Jaguars only have two cornerbacks under contract for 2025: Montaric Brown and Christian Braswell.

The Jaguars need as many cover men as possible for Nielsen's aggressive and attacking scheme. They don't have the firepower they need, yet, so expect this to be a position of focus this offseason.

The Jaguars have hired Ryan Nielsen as their defensive coordinator. Nielsen brings a press-man heavy scheme to Jacksonville.

The Falcons under Nielsen aligned in press coverage against a league-high 53.7% of wide aligned routes in 2023 (Jaguars: 16.2%, 27th).#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/WuVpTf5VJ8

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 22, 2024