The Jets met virtually with eight candidates in the first round of interviews for their vacant defensive coordinator job, the team announced Friday.

They have completed interviews with Wink Martindale, Jim Leonhard, Chris Harris, Jim O’Neil, DeMarcus Covington, Daronte Jones, Mathieu Araujob and Ephraim Banda.

Martindale, 65, has the most play-calling experience of the group. He has spent the past two seasons as defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan after two seasons (2022-23) as the Giants’ defensive coordinator, six seasons as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator (2012-17) and one season as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator (2010).

Leonhard, who started 40 games over three seasons as a safety for the Jets, has served as the Broncos’ defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator for the past two seasons. He added assistant head coach to his title this season.

Harris joined Aaron Glenn’s staff as defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator last offseason and finished as interim defensive coordinator after Steve Wilks’ firing.

O’Neil coached with Glenn in Detroit, where O’Neil worked as a defensive assistant in 2024-25. He got his first NFL gig with the Jets in 2009 as a defensive quality control coach before serving as assistant defensive backs coach from 2010-12. He was the Browns’ defensive coordinator for two seasons (2014-15), along with NFL stops as an assistant in Buffalo (2013), San Francisco (2016) and Oakland/Las Vegas (2019-20).

Covington also has experience as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, holding that position with New England during the 2024 season. He first joined the Patriots in 2016 under Bill Belichick. In 2025, Covington was the defensive line coach/run game coordinator with Green Bay.

Jones was the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Vikings. He arrived in Minnesota in 2020, leaving for one season to be LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021.

Araujo spent the past four seasons with the Dolphins, coaching the defensive backs.

Banda has been the Browns’ safeties coach since 2023 after spending several years coaching in college.