People keep asking what if.....so I'll start one here. I may add to this post over time but right off hand:
Chris Hewitt:
Hewitt is the pass game coordinator and secondary coach for the Ravens, and was their DB coach from 2012-2019, meaning he would have played in integral role in the seemingly endless pipeline of great defensive backs from Baltimore. He spent most of his coaching career on the staff of Wink Martindale, who considers anything that isn't covered 0 to be too conservative. Now he's spent 2 years under Mike MacDonald, who still dials up plenty of blitzes, but in a more balanced way, with more 2-high coverages than Martindale. Both have operated with 3-4 fronts, but they tend to be pretty multiple.
Cory Undlin:
Undlin is the pass game coordinator for the Texans, and he followed Ryans from the 49ers. He has experience as an NFL DC, albeit for one season in Detroit in 2020. Before that, he worked on Jim Schartz's staff in Philadelphia. Both Schwartz and Ryans run 4-3 base defenses that rely heavily on stunts and blitzes up front. The talent up front is critical for these schemes, and maybe it's a hot take, but I'll put Gary, Clark, Wyatt, and Van Ness up there with any front 4 in football. In terms of coverage, Schwartz is more cover 3, while Ryans is a bit more varied with more 2-high looks. I honestly think the Packers could maybe make a 4-3 work, and having a DC that would maximize the great players and elite athletes we have upfront makes a ton of sense.
Sam Madison:
Currently the pass game specialist with the Miami Dolphins, as well as the CB coach. Madison is a 4-time All-Pro corner from 1997-2008, but only got his first NFL coaching job in 2019 as the secondary coach for the Chiefs. He spent 3 years with the Chiefs under Steve Spagnuolo, one of the most creative blitz schemers in the NFL; before joining Miami in 2022, where now he is working under Vic Fangio. He played a good chunk of his career under Spagnuolo, who uses a 4-3 base with lots of blitzes and fairly diverse coverages on the back end. That being said, the year in Fangio's 2-high conservative zone coverage scheme from a 3-4 base would be a useful learning experience towards becoming a DC.
Jim Leonhard:
Supposedly, he was the first choice when they hired Barry, but he decided to turn the job down to stay at Wisconsin. Schematically, it's hard to say exactly what he'd look like, since you'd imagine he'd be making significant changes from his very BIG-10 defense he ran with Wisconsin. He played in effectively every scheme known to the NFL, from the 2-high conservative coverage system in Buffalo to the cover-1 and blitz-heavy Jets. He dialed up cover-3 match as his base coverage at Wisconsin, without a whole lot of man coverage; however, when faced with vertical passing offenses he ran more cover 4. Either way, it's very zone match-heavy on the back end. Up front is where things were very collegiate, and while he was creative with his groupings and fronts, a lot of it revolved around Wisconsin's 220-pound outside linebackers that simply don't exist in the NFL. He's never held an NFL job before, so there's a ton of risk involved.
Will add more later.........
Chris Hewitt:
Hewitt is the pass game coordinator and secondary coach for the Ravens, and was their DB coach from 2012-2019, meaning he would have played in integral role in the seemingly endless pipeline of great defensive backs from Baltimore. He spent most of his coaching career on the staff of Wink Martindale, who considers anything that isn't covered 0 to be too conservative. Now he's spent 2 years under Mike MacDonald, who still dials up plenty of blitzes, but in a more balanced way, with more 2-high coverages than Martindale. Both have operated with 3-4 fronts, but they tend to be pretty multiple.
Cory Undlin:
Undlin is the pass game coordinator for the Texans, and he followed Ryans from the 49ers. He has experience as an NFL DC, albeit for one season in Detroit in 2020. Before that, he worked on Jim Schartz's staff in Philadelphia. Both Schwartz and Ryans run 4-3 base defenses that rely heavily on stunts and blitzes up front. The talent up front is critical for these schemes, and maybe it's a hot take, but I'll put Gary, Clark, Wyatt, and Van Ness up there with any front 4 in football. In terms of coverage, Schwartz is more cover 3, while Ryans is a bit more varied with more 2-high looks. I honestly think the Packers could maybe make a 4-3 work, and having a DC that would maximize the great players and elite athletes we have upfront makes a ton of sense.
Sam Madison:
Currently the pass game specialist with the Miami Dolphins, as well as the CB coach. Madison is a 4-time All-Pro corner from 1997-2008, but only got his first NFL coaching job in 2019 as the secondary coach for the Chiefs. He spent 3 years with the Chiefs under Steve Spagnuolo, one of the most creative blitz schemers in the NFL; before joining Miami in 2022, where now he is working under Vic Fangio. He played a good chunk of his career under Spagnuolo, who uses a 4-3 base with lots of blitzes and fairly diverse coverages on the back end. That being said, the year in Fangio's 2-high conservative zone coverage scheme from a 3-4 base would be a useful learning experience towards becoming a DC.
Jim Leonhard:
Supposedly, he was the first choice when they hired Barry, but he decided to turn the job down to stay at Wisconsin. Schematically, it's hard to say exactly what he'd look like, since you'd imagine he'd be making significant changes from his very BIG-10 defense he ran with Wisconsin. He played in effectively every scheme known to the NFL, from the 2-high conservative coverage system in Buffalo to the cover-1 and blitz-heavy Jets. He dialed up cover-3 match as his base coverage at Wisconsin, without a whole lot of man coverage; however, when faced with vertical passing offenses he ran more cover 4. Either way, it's very zone match-heavy on the back end. Up front is where things were very collegiate, and while he was creative with his groupings and fronts, a lot of it revolved around Wisconsin's 220-pound outside linebackers that simply don't exist in the NFL. He's never held an NFL job before, so there's a ton of risk involved.
Will add more later.........
