Packers Discussion: Who do you want as Green Bay’s next defensive coordinator?

Alright, so the Green Bay Packers’ 2026 defensive coordinator search is underway. With Jeff Hafley in Miami, the Packers’ biggest move this offseason, considering their draft capital and salary cap situation, will likely be finding Hafley’s replacement.

So far, we know that two candidates are going to interview for the job: Minnesota’s Daronte Jones and Philadelphia’s Christian Parker. Follow our full defensive coordinator tracker, which also includes which candidates are getting interviewed for other jobs around the league, too.

Here’s a quick rundown of potential Packers defensive coordinators who have some sort of ties to Green Bay:

• Cowboys defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton
  • Was interviewed by Green Bay for their defensive line coach opening, which went to Demarcus Covington. Also interviewed with the Cowboys for their defensive coordinator opening this year.
• Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
  • Was a finalist for the 2019 Packers head coaching search, which went to Matt LaFleur. His contract has run out (rare in the NFL), so he is a true free agent. So far, he’s set up interviews with the Cowboys and Commanders.
• Jets interim defensive coordinator Chris Harris
  • Was interviewed in 2021 for the defensive coordinator opening that went to Joe Barry.
• Eagles pass game coordinator Christian Parker
  • Started his NFL career on LaFleur’s initial staff as a quality control coach from 2019-2020. In 2024, he interviewed for the defensive coordinator opening that went to Jeff Hafley. He is now scheduled to interview with the Packers on Wednesday.
• Vikings pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones
  • Has scheduled interviews with the Cowboys, Jets, Giants and Packers and is maybe the hottest name among potential first-time defensive coordinators in the league.
• Packers run game coordinator/defensive line coach Demarcus Covington
  • Has interviewed with the Cowboys and Jets for their defensive coordinator openings this cycle. Previously was the defensive coordinator with the Patriots before joining the Packers in 2025.
• Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson
  • His head coach has been fired, and the Titans didn’t block an interview request from the Commanders. Wilson was interviewed by the Packers in 2024 during the search that led to hiring Hafley.
• Packers passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley
  • He hasn’t been interviewed for a defensive coordinator job this cycle, but Ansley was previously the Chargers’ defensive coordinator before joining Green Bay two offseasons ago.
• Broncos assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard
  • Was reportedly LaFleur’s first choice during the team’s post-Pettine search, which led to the hiring of Barry. Leonhard decided to stay at the college level until jumping up to the NFL in 2024.
• former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris
  • At first, I was unsure if Morris was going to be in the coaching market because there are people in the broadcast industry who believe that he would be a good fit there. The question Morris must ultimately answer is whether he believes he can sit out the 2026 season and reemerge as a head coaching candidate in 2027 (he’s paid out by the Falcons either way), or if he needs to build back up his reputation in 2026 as a defensive coordinator to earn those interviews. With that being said, I have been told that other clubs in the NFL have Morris on their short list, too, so they expect him to be in the mix. Morris’ ties with the Packers come down to his relationship with LaFleur. Morris and LaFleur were together in Washington from 2012 to 2013. Other coaches on that staff, though, include 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan (who will need to replace his defensive coordinator after Robert Saleh got the Titans head coaching job), Rams head coach Sean McVay (who might need to replace his defensive coordinator if Chris Shula gets a head coaching job) and head coaching candidate Mike McDaniel (who might need to hire an outside defensive coordinator, too). Morris also previously was McVay’s defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2023, which overlapped with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s (who might need to replace free agent defensive coordinator Brian Flores) and Jaguars head coach Liam Coen’s (who might need to replace Anthony Campanile if he’s hired to be a head coach somewhere) time with the team. It’s not as easy as “Raheem and Matt are friends.” A lot of Raheem’s friends are in head coaching positions and are/could be in the defensive coordinator market this offseason. Expect this to be a competitive market if Morris does end up taking interviews.
• Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr
  • His head coach has been fired, and the Ravens didn’t block an interview request from the Cowboys. Orr was interviewed by the Packers in 2024 during the search that led to hiring Hafley. Keep an eye on whether he is signed by John Harbaugh in New York.

The Packers could go with a true outside candidate, like a Jones, but I just wanted to list some names that have clear ties to Green Bay to get the conversation going. Out of all possible candidates, including ones I didn’t list, who do you most want to replace Hafley? Voice your opinion in the comment section below.