🔥 HOT NEWS: The Raiders’ Defense Is About to Be Rewritten—and These Names Are Circling ⚡.DH

The hardest part of becoming an NFL head coach isn’t getting the job.

It’s what comes next.

As the Las Vegas Raiders prepare to finalize a deal with Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, attention has already shifted toward the decision that could quietly define his entire tenure: who will run the defense.

Kubiak arrives in Las Vegas fresh off a Super Bowl run as Seattle’s offensive coordinator. He brings momentum, credibility, and a clean slate.

What he doesn’t bring—at least yet—is head coaching experience. That makes his coordinator hires less about preference and more about survival.

Patrick Graham won’t be part of this transition. After serving under multiple regimes, he has moved on, leaving the Raiders in search of a defensive identity for the first time since 2022.

And for a franchise coming off yet another reset, getting this hire wrong would be costly.

Three names stand out—not because they’re flashy, but because they align with the moment Kubiak is stepping into.

Aden Durde: Familiarity and Momentum

If continuity matters, Aden Durde sits at the top of the list.

Durde and Kubiak just worked together in Seattle, helping guide the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. While head coach Mike Macdonald is widely viewed as the architect of Seattle’s elite defense, Durde played a meaningful role in execution and weekly preparation.

The results speak clearly: sixth in total defense, first in scoring defense, and second in defensive DVOA.

Durde also interviewed for head coaching jobs this cycle, signaling league-wide respect. With those vacancies now filled, a lateral move to Las Vegas—paired with a familiar offensive counterpart—makes sense.

For Kubiak, Durde represents a low-risk option: shared language, shared standards, and proven success in the system Kubiak has already lived in.

It wouldn’t be bold. But it would be safe.

Jim Schwartz: Control Through Experience

If Kubiak wants certainty instead of comfort, Jim Schwartz offers it.

Schwartz’s situation in Cleveland ended abruptly, and not quietly. Despite fielding one of the NFL’s most effective defenses—fifth in defensive DVOA in 2025—he was passed over internally, creating a situation that many around the league viewed as mishandled.

Now, Schwartz is widely expected to look for a fresh start.

Las Vegas could provide that.

Schwartz and Kubiak don’t share a coaching history, but they wouldn’t need one.

Schwartz’s wide-nine fronts, aggressive pass rush philosophy, and comfort with man coverage would immediately give the Raiders a clear defensive identity—something they’ve lacked for years.

For a first-time head coach, handing the defense to a veteran who has “done it before” could be the stabilizing force Kubiak needs.

The downside? Strong personalities require strong alignment. This wouldn’t be a passive partnership.

Jerry Gray: Quiet Trust, Proven Development

Then there’s Jerry Gray—the name that doesn’t trend, but never disappears.

Gray and Kubiak worked together in Minnesota in 2019, forming a relationship built on trust rather than headlines.

Since then, Gray has continued to earn respect as one of the league’s best defensive backs coaches, most recently helping Atlanta transform a historically shaky pass defense into a functional unit.

Under Gray, players like Dee Alford and Xavier Watts took noticeable steps forward. That matters for a Raiders roster likely to lean young, especially if the rebuild accelerates around a rookie quarterback.

Gray wouldn’t bring schematic fireworks. He’d bring professionalism, development, and calm. For a franchise that’s cycled through chaos, that may be exactly the appeal.

The Real Decision

This isn’t just about Xs and Os.

Kubiak’s first major decision as a head coach will signal how he intends to lead. Does he lean on familiarity? Experience? Trust built years ago?

The Raiders don’t need a perfect defense in 2026. They need a believable one. Something stable enough to grow while the offense evolves.

Because if Kubiak gets this hire wrong, it won’t matter how creative his offense becomes.

The Raiders have already learned that lesson the hard way.