The New York Giants have secured Brian Daboll as their new head coach, but it’s unclear who will make up his staff. Despite Patrick Graham’s popularity within the organization, we don’t know yet if Daboll intends to keep Graham on as his defensive coordinator. Furthermore, it doesn’t look like Graham is going to stay this year if he receives a better offer.
The Jets were the interested team last year, and this year, it’s the Vikings. They aren’t the only team interested, but the Vikings are the only team other than the Giants to offer an interview for their head coach vacancy.
Giants DC Pat Graham will interview virtually for Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy tomorrow, I’m told.
Graham (Jets interested last year) interviewed for Giants HC in person Wed, Steelers DC in person Thurs. Now Minny.@JFowlerESPN 1st on Graham as a Vikes name to watch
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) January 28, 2022
Graham has also interviewed for the Steelers defensive coordinator position. While it doesn’t look like Graham plans on leaving if the Giants will continue to have him as defensive coordinator, this interview makes sense. There’s no guarantee that Daboll won’t bring in his own candidate at DC, and in that case, Graham would be left looking for a new job.
It’s been reported that Daboll is interested in Don “Wink” Martindale as his defensive coordinator, but it’s too soon for anything definitive to come out on the subject.
With the players’ familiarity with Graham and his better performance in 2020 when the conditions around the defense weren’t as bad, it may be worth keeping Graham in his current role rather than seeking an outside candidate for the position. But that all depends on Graham not getting a better offer, and that might not be the case if the Vikings have real interest in Graham as head coach.