Why Titans made the right hire at defensive coordinator in Ravens’ Dennard Wilson

The Tennessee Titans‘ new coaching staff is beginning to take shape. After tabbing former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their new head coach, the Titans have reportedly zeroed in on former Baltimore Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as their new defensive coordinator, according to ESPN.

With Callahan being an offensive mind and first-time head coach, the defensive coordinator hire was an important one. That led many to wonder if a veteran defensive play caller was en route to Nashville, but ultimately, the Titans land an up-and-comer. There were not many candidates Tennessee interviewed for its defensive coordinator job, which could lead one to believe that Callahan had a short list — and Wilson headlined that list.

The 41-year-old Maryland native who played his college football at the University of Maryland started his post-playing career as a scout with the Chicago Bears in 2008. Eventually, he moved over to coaching, joining the then-St. Louis Rams as a defensive quality control coach, and then became their defensive backs coach. Wilson also served as a DBs coach with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles before being hired by Baltimore last offseason. 

The Ravens had the best defense in the league in 2023. Baltimore became the first team to ever lead or co-lead the NFL in scoring defense, sacks and takeaways. They had the No. 6 total defense (301.4 yards of total offense per game), and No. 6 passing defense (191.9 passing yards per game). Prior to Wilson’s arrival, Baltimore had the seventh-worst passing defense in 2022. 

Wilson’s background with defensive backs is notable for the Titans, as their cornerbacks have struggled for years now. Tennessee’s pass defense hasn’t finished in the top half of the league since 2018.

In 2022, Wilson’s Eagles had the No. 1 passing defense in the NFL as Philly made it to Super Bowl LVII. This year, the Eagles had the second-worst passing defense in the league. Wilson had a role in helping big names find success in the secondary, such as Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye with the Jets, and Darius Slay and James Bradberry with the Eagles. The Titans weren’t the only team targeting Wilson for a big promotion. The Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Rams were all reportedly interested in Wilson, but it was Callahan and Tennessee who landed him. 

In Wilson, the Titans have a former player who specializes in the secondary, and has had clear success with multiple teams. Tennessee’s new leader on the defensive side of the ball also has scouting experience, and turned into a hot coordinator name this cycle.