Ranking the 7 NFL Head Coaching Hires

Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders

This has been the year of the defensive-focused head coach. Jack Del Rio, most recently the Broncos defensive coordinator and formerly the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, has become the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders. “But Joe,” you might plead, “Why on earth would you think a guy who has a lifetime 68-73 record should coach anywhere? And why the Raiders, who have more holes than any other team in the league?”

Well, friends, my first response to you is this manifesto of sorts from staff Editor-In-Chief JJ Zachariason on Del Rio’s history and future.

My second response to you is: the Raiders actually have a decent set of building block players to work with right now. Del Rio likes to focus on the defense, and he will inherit a team with defensive end Justin Tuck, linebackers Sio Moore and Khalil Mack, and safety Tyvon Branch; at least one plus player in each level of the defense. On offense, he has a little less to work with, but he has a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr, a workhorse runner in Latavius Murray, and at least some promise from most of his other positions.

Del Rio is a strong leader, and despite his inability to lure some other huge coaching names to the team, I can see new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave doing some real work at refining Carr’s game in the near future. This is a team on the rise, and while they shouldn’t do much in 2015, there is a bright, bright future ahead if they keep pointed in their current direction.