It’s summertime offseason content time! As the season approaches, I’m going to be taking a look at the landscape of the NFL, position by position, over the course of the next several weeks. We’ll be talking about the who’s who of the NFL in our own little version of the NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players” bit they do every year. Up first, we’re talking about the top 10 NFL defensive coordinators for 2022!
Alright, time to shift gears and talk about the defense as we wrap up our look at the top of the coaching staffs. I think the defensive coordinators are harder to rank than anything. Namely, you do still have the same thing weighing on this decision as the other coaching lists – there’s no hardcore quantifiable coaching metrics out there for us to reference and build a case as to why a particular coach is good. And, like the offensive coordinators, you still don’t really know what the dynamic is like between head coach and coordinator and what that division of labor. But, on top of that, it’s just harder to be a more consistently good defense in the modern NFL.
Defense today just ain’t what it used to be, folks. Nowadays, the doughnut comes fewer and further between. It’s more like “if you can keep your opponent under 20 points, you’ve got a chance.” So, I say all of this to qualify my list today – it’s an overview of the coordinating landscape, and my approach is to identify units that perform consistently, perform above their talent, and under coordinators that we know have a larger hand in the defense (if they’re coaching under an offensive-minded head coach, for example). You’re welcome to think my list is trash, and you’re welcome to email me your own. Now, let’s get to it.
THE TOP 10 NFL DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS FOR 2022
10. Vance Joseph, Arizona Cardinals – Despite how the season fizzled out for the Cardinals, Joseph made strides with the defense. His pedigree and experience bolster that side of the ball for a head coach who is undoubtedly offensive-minded.
9. Steve Spagnuolo, Kansas City Chiefs – Spagnuolo has had some not-so-good games in big moments the last two seasons, but he remains one of the steadiest defensive coordinators in the game for his ability to manufacture pressure and his creative disguises in coverage.
8. Lou Anarumo, Cincinnati Bengals – Maybe this one is a bit of a projection, but if you watch the way Bengals defense played down the stretch in 2021, it may surprise you. They may have been a liability in coverage, but they quietly had one of the better run defenses in the league. Anarumo did a masterful job of masking the defense’s weaknesses and squeezing what juice he could out of that unit.
7. DeMeco Ryans, San Francisco 49ers – Ryans has been a consistent force on the 49ers defensive coaching staff since joining it as a quality control assistant in 2017. He got his shot at the coordinating gig in 2021 and showed the football world exactly why he’s seen as such a rising star in the coaching ranks. Ryans is on the fast track to a head coaching gig.
6. Joe Barry, Green Bay Packers – An awful lot of folks are awfully high on Barry heading into 2022. Considering all of the injuries the Packers have had to deal with on defense, Barry did a commendable job of working with what he had in 2021. With everyone back and healthy, the hope is that this will be an elite defense this year. It seems Barry has the chops to make that happen.
5. Shane Bowen, Tennessee Titans – Hot take? Maybe a hot take. I don’t see Bowen or this Titans getting a lot of love, but the bottom line is that they were a downright force in the back stretch of 2021. Personnel changes helped, for sure, but this defense really kicked into another gear after some time with Bowen taking over as the defensive coordinator in earnest. They may have the best defensive front in all of football.
4. Josh Boyer, Miami Dolphins – Quick! Name a defensive player for the Miami Dolphins! That’s what I thought. You can’t do it. The Dolphins were far from a sexy team in 2021, as that offense was an outright dud to watch. But, after starting a disastrous 1-7, the Dolphins somehow managed to sneak their way into the playoff race behind a defense that at one point in the season looked like the best in the league. It’s a testament to Boyer’s work and that of the defensive coaching staff under him.
3. Raheem Morris, Los Angeles Rams – Statistically, the Rams were a middle of the road defense, and it may seem on the surface that the unit took a step back from its dominance under Brandon Staley. But, when it mattered most, Morris’ presence and experience proved crucial. He deserves a ton of credit for leveraging all that talent and helping to get the Rams a Lombardi parade in Los Angeles.
2. Dan Quinn, Dallas Cowboys – Hitting the jackpot with Micah Parsons certainly doesn’t hurt, but Quinn may have been the biggest addition to the Cowboys defense last offseason. I mean, this is a unit that was laughably bad before Quinn came to town. Once he did, it was an immediate turn around on defense. That speaks to just how proficient Quinn is as a defensive coordinator.
1. Leslie Frazier, Buffalo Bills – When I first started thinking about this list, Frazier’s name was the first one that popped into my head. I’ve often touted that Bills coaching staff as the most underrated in the league, and Frazier is no different. The Bills were widely considered the best defense in football in 2021, and sure, there’s a wealth of talent on that side of the ball, but the stability and consistency that Frazier trickles down to the players is unparalleled. This man is going to parlay this run with the Bills into another crack at a head coaching job. Bet.
OTHER 2022 NFL TOP 10S
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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