According to reports, the Baltimore Ravens are interviewing Jim Leonhard of the Denver Broncos for the defensive coordinator position.
After making the decision to move on from longtime head coach John Harbaugh, the Baltimore Ravens are looking to create a completely new coaching staff that will get the team to the Super Bowl.
The Ravens organization are starting off strong with new head coach Jesse Minter, a veteran defensive coordinator who helped the Los Angeles Chargers become one of the best defenses in the NFL and was instrumental in Michigan winning the College Football Playoffs national championship in 2023.
Now, Minter is looking to build a solid staff around him to build off of the strong foundation left by Harbaugh, and the Ravens may have their best defensive coordinator candidate yet.
According to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Ravens have an interview with Denver Broncos assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard for the defensive coordinator position.
Leonhard began his NFL career as a free safety for the Buffalo Bills in 2005. He remained in the league for 10 years, playing for the Ravens, the New York Jets, the Broncos, the New Orleans Saints, and the Cleveland Browns before becoming a coach.
In 2016, Leonhard became the defensive backs coach for Wisconsin before being elevated to defensive coordinator in 2017 and interim head coach in 2022. In 2024, Leonhard became the defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator for the Broncos, a position he continues to hold.
Needless to say, Leonhard would be a great addition alongside Minter, who already revealed that he plans on calling defensive plays. This would be a great step into bringing the Ravens back to their former defensive glory.
Leonhard isn't the only coach on the Ravens' radar for defensive coordinator. According to Brian Wacker of The Baltimore Sun, the Ravens have conducted an interview with Kansas City Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen.
Cullen has been coaching professionally since 1990, operating mostly as a defensive line coach, or defensive coordinator. He has worked with countless NCAA teams as well as the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Most importantly, Cullen worked as the defensive line coach for the Ravens from 2016-2020 alongside Mitner when he worked as a defensive assistant for Baltimore.
Either option would be great for the Ravens, who drastically need to improve their defense. In 2024, Baltimore had the 10th best defense, only allowing 324.2 yards per game. Meanwhile, they ranked 24th in 2025, allowing 354.5 yards per game.