Vikings' Defensive Coordinator Search: Aubrey Pleasant, Anthony Weaver, Don Martindale

Three names have emerged as the Vikings look to find their next defensive coordinator.

The most important hire Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings will make for his new coaching staff is at defensive coordinator. 

O'Connell is an offensive-minded coach, so he needs someone to call the defensive plays and lead things on that side of the ball. The importance of the role is elevated further when you consider how poorly the Vikings played on defense over the past two seasons and how much work needs to be done in that area going forward.

Three names have emerged so far in Minnesota's DC search, and all of them are encouraging. Let's go through each one.

Aubrey Pleasant, Lions DBs coach/passing game coordinator

The first confirmed interview for the Vikings' DC opening is Pleasant, who would be a fantastic hire. He has drawn rave reviews from players and fellow coaches everywhere he's gone and seems to be on the path to becoming a head coach someday. Pleasant did some good things with a Lions secondary that was lacking raw talent last season, even before dealing with several injuries. He helped Amani Oruwariye record six interceptions and developed a number of UDFA-type players into solid contributors.

Pleasant was the Rams' cornerbacks coach from 2017-20, overlapping with O'Connell during the 2020 season. He's gotten a ton of praise from Jalen Ramsey, who the Rams acquired in 2019. Pleasant also worked with Marcus Peters and helped develop players like Darious Williams, David Long Jr., and Troy Hill in Los Angeles.

Before that, Pleasant was on the Washington NFL team's staff for four years, working with coaches like Sean McVay and Raheem Morris. Prior to last season, Pleasant and McVay had been on the same coaching staff for eight straight years. Pleasant played safety at Wisconsin in the late 2000s and got his start in coaching at the University of Michigan.

The Flint, MI native is known for balancing tough love and positive reinforcement in his coaching, and for his tradition of running the stadium steps before every game. He appears to be the favorite in this search.

Anthony Weaver, Ravens DL coach/run game coordinator

Weaver was in the running to fill the Broncos' defensive coordinator opening before Ejiro Evero was hired and was in the mix for a promotion by the Ravens before they hired Mike Macdonald as their DC. He's a former player with a decade of experience coaching defensive lines in the NFL.

In his first season in Baltimore, Weaver's Ravens had arguably the best run defense in the league. They finished first in yards allowed, fourth in run defense DVOA, and fourth in EPA per rush. That's a pretty strong mark on a resume.

Prior to joining the Ravens, Weaver was with the Texans for five seasons, first as their defensive line coach and then as the defensive coordinator in 2020. That 2020 defense wasn't good, but the roster wasn't either. As Houston's DL coach, Weaver worked closely with guys like J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and D.J. Reader.

Weaver crossed paths with O'Connell in 2015 in Cleveland, when he was the Browns' DL coach and O'Connell was the team's QB coach. Weaver also had stints with the Bills and Jets early in his NFL coaching career. A 2002 second-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, Weaver started 98 games at defensive end for the Ravens and Texans from 2002-08, recording 15.5 sacks and three interceptions.

Don "Wink" Martindale, former Ravens defensive coordinator

Martindale is one of several accomplished, veteran defensive coaches on the market right now, along with Vic Fangio, Brian Flores, Mike Zimmer and others. He's in the running to be the Giants' next defensive coordinator, having interviewed twice with New York and new coach Brian Daboll. But if Martindale doesn't end up getting that job — former Bears DC Sean Desai is also in the mix — it sounds like he could be a candidate in Minnesota.

Update: Martindale got the Giants job, so he's not in the mix for the Vikings.

He and the Ravens mutually parted ways after a tough 2021 season, but Martindale coached some fantastic defenses in Baltimore. They ranked in the top five in DVOA in 2018 and 2019 and were ninth in 2020. From 2018 to 2020, the Ravens finished in the top three in scoring defense for three straight seasons, allowing fewer than 19 points per game in every year of that span. Known for being one of the most blitz-heavy coordinators in the NFL, Martindale is a talented defensive schemer and game-planner. It was a big surprise when he and the Ravens parted ways in January.

Prior to becoming the Ravens' DC, Martindale was Baltimore's linebackers coach for six seasons. He has also coached for the Broncos and Raiders, in addition to a long career at the college level. The 58-year-old Martindale has a ton of experience and an impressive track record.

Notes

• Tuesday update: Former Bears DC Sean Desai interviewed with the Vikings and is now in the running.
• The Vikings seem to be moving on from Adam Zimmer and Andre Patterson, who were their co-DCs for the past two seasons. Both have close ties to Mike Zimmer, so it makes sense. I suppose there's still a chance Patterson could stick around if he took a demotion back to DL coach, but that seems unlikely.
• It seems like there's a strong chance the Vikings switch to a 3-4 defense this offseason, which would be a big change after running a 4-3 for so many years. O'Connell has been around a 3-4 with the Rams for the past couple years, and all three of the names listed above are primarily 3-4 coaches. That would have a significant impact on the Vikings' personnel and how they shape the roster moving forward.
• Rams run game coordinator and DL coach Eric Henderson is a name to keep in mind if O'Connell wants to bring someone with him from LA. Assistant secondary coach Jonathan Cooley could be a target as the Vikings' DBs coach, too.
• Former Packers DC Mike Pettine was rumored as an option by CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, but I'm not putting much stock into that because La Canfora has consistently been wrong on every Vikings-related story this offseason.

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