Breaking down the Washington Commanders new defensive coordinator, Daronte Jones, and what it means this offseason into 2026.
After weeks of a dragged out defensive coordinator search with a growing list of candidates what felt like every few days, head coach Dan Quinn reportedly ended his defensive coordinator search on Monday night after tabbing Daronte Jones as the replacement for Joe Whitt Jr., giving him his first coordinator role in the NFL.
All while Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores drew headlines as a candidate in head coaching searches, along with the Commanders' defensive coordinator search, Jones reportedly and quietly materialized into a coveted coordinator target with the Commanders one of five teams to interview the Vikings assistant this offseason. And for good reason.
Viewed as the key assistant under Flores, along with experience coaching coaching under Mike Zimmer, Vance Joseph and Lou Anarumo, Jones' units have put a premium on takeaways. See ball, get ball as Jones joked with Ari Meirov that defensive backs don't get paid unless they're touching the ball either by forced fumble or interception, but that's also a theme to what his units have produced under his direction. In his four seasons with Minnesota, the Vikings amassed 73 interceptions while notching at least one takeaway in every game in 2025. Jones also had success on the college level after improving Hawaii's pass defense by nearly 70 yards in 2012 and leading Wisconsin's defense to a nation's-best seven passing touchdowns allowed.
For a Commanders defense that finished with just eight interceptions in 2025 and ranked last in the league in turnover differential, Jones' proven success is an obvious bonus.
Washington enters the offseason with Marshon Lattimore as an obvious roster cut candidate with a chance to save $18.5 million in cap after one and a half seasons of disappointment, but what the defense does to address both the cornerback and safety rooms is a question mark now for Jones to answer. While Ohio State safety Caleb Downs has blossomed into a popular pick in mock drafts for Washington, how Jones gets more out of third-year cornerback Mike Sainristil and second-year Trey Amos might be as intriguing given Jones' pedigree as a teacher-coach.
While Jones' lone season at LSU didn't blossom into appealing defensive stats with the Tigers allowing over 375 yards per game during a lame duck season under Ed Orgeron, his ability to develop was one that resonated quickly.
“Some players learn best watching film, some players learn best in walkthroughs, some players actually have to do it several times to get it," Jones previously said in 2021. "So when you are installing a defense, you want to incorporate every type of learning style.”
Of course, the bonus is that the hire marks a homecoming for Jones, a Maryland native who graduated from nearby Bishop McNamara before playing cornerback at Morgan State. This will mark his first job in the area since his days with the Bears, but it also will mark Jones first time calling plays in the NFL.
With head coach Dan Quinn already turning to a first-year coordinator on offense, is it too risky of a move? The optimism on defense is that a defensive-minded coach like Quinn will be able to help mold Jones ahead of 2026 while relinquishing play calling duties, but it might be Washington's biggest question ahead of a make-or-break season in year three of the Dan Quinn era.