NFL insider predicts who each NFL team will hire for open head coaching positions

ESPN’s Dan Graziano is predicting which coach will be chosen for each vacancy in the NFL, as the coaching carousel continues to turn throughout the league.

There’s currently six openings, with the New England Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel to replace Jerod Mayo, and the Dallas Cowboys joining the fray after letting Mike McCarthy walk. With a bevy of fascinating candidates, including two coordinators from the NFC’s top seed in the Detroit Lions, it’s anyone’s guess which coaches will join the elite group of 32 NFL head coaches.

With that in mind, Graziano tried to make sense of the whispers he’s been hearing, playing matchmaker. Check out which coaches he believes will fill each opening below, as there’s bound to be some eye-opening commentary from the ESPN analyst.

Chicago Bears: Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings DC

The Bears are looking for a coach to pair with Caleb Williams at quarterback. Graziano has them choosing a coach with a background in defense, which will make their offensive coordinator hire that much more important, but Flores has earned another shot with his work in Minnesota as their defensive coordinator.

Graziano: “There is a lot of guesswork here. The Bears’ list of candidates is massive, and Flores still hasn’t been allowed to interview with Chicago because Minnesota made the playoffs. But this is the name that comes up the most when I ask people around the NFL to make a prediction.”

Dallas Cowboys: Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles OC

Could Jerry Jones shock the world and go to the college ranks and pry Deion Sanders or Lincoln Riley away from their respective schools? Potentially, but Graziano believes Kellen Moore would be the pick at the moment, although he admitted it’s premature to name a successor to Mike McCarthy in Dallas.

Graziano: “The Cowboys are obviously still extremely early in their process, and we have no idea how extensive their interview list will be once they get rolling. But Moore — who played for the Cowboys from 2015 to 2017 , then spent a year as the team’s quarterbacks coach and then four more as the offensive coordinator — has an obvious connection to the organization and its current QB.”

Jacksonville Jaguars: Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills OC

Joe Brady seemed to be on the fast track to being a head coach after his time with the LSU Tigers during Joe Burrow’s magnificent season in Baton Rouge. He had to prove himself yet again after a disappointing stint with the Carolina Panthers, but Graziano believes he’ll be the choice in Jacksonville after his awesome work in Buffalo with Josh Allen.

Graziano: “Brady has rebuilt the Bills’ offense into a bully and has Buffalo positioned for a potential Super Bowl run. Only the Lions score more than his Bills offense (29.5 points per game). And Brady has had NFL teams’ attention in several recent head coach cycles.”

Las Vegas Raiders: Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions OC

The prettiest girl at the dance during this coaching carousel has been Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. After spurning the Washington Commanders last offseason, Graziano believes a Tom Brady-led charge will convince him to take his talents to Sin City once Detroit’s season is over.

Graziano: “This definitely would not have been the spot people picked for Johnson when this process started. But I have been told new minority owner Tom Brady has been making a personal appeal to Johnson and trying to sell him on coming to Las Vegas to build a program together with a new GM.”

New Orleans Saints: Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions DC

While Ben Johnson has received a ton of coverage due to the Lions’ impressive offense, their defense has been incredible as well, and that’s Aaron Glenn’s doing. He’s expected to be able to choose between multiple jobs, including two familiar franchises in the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets, but Graziano is predicting he’ll end up in Louisiana.

Graziano: “Here’s one that most of the people I’ve been talking to seem to agree on. Glenn is expected to land one of the open head coaching jobs this cycle, and he has connections with the Saints and Jets. … I don’t know which job Glenn would pick if it came down to a choice between the Saints and Jets. But based on everything I have heard, I expect the Saints — whose process seems less expansive so far than the Jets’ process — to make a strong push for Glenn and probably land him.”

New York Jets: Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers OC

To say the New York Jets’ coaching search has been expansive would be an understatement. As they say goodbye to Robert Saleh and likely end the Aaron Rodgers experiment, they’re hoping to find a fearless leader to move them into a new era. Graziano believes Arthur Smith will be the choice, although he’s not ruling out the potential of Flores or Glenn to New York, if they don’t get their other aforementioned gigs.

Graziano: “Smith was a candidate of interest to Jets owner Woody Johnson back in 2021, when the team hired [Robert] Saleh. … With limited information about who might be the front-runner at this point, I’ll take Smith. For most of this season, he found a way to make some pretty effective chicken salad out of a not-great QB situation in Pittsburgh.”