New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo is busy conducting interviews to fill his coaching staff. Defensive coordinator has come into focus with the team interviewing Carolina Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu on Monday.
There were two more names added to the list on Friday with the team expected to interview New Orleans Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The Broncos were far more competitive in the defensive backfield last season, but things took a nosedive in 2023. Granted, it wasn’t just the defensive backfield that struggled in Denver. The entire defense had a rough run, before finally starting to turn a corner late in the season.
With that said, Hodges is clearly one of the more intriguing candidates considering how well the Saints defense performed in 2023, despite all of the obvious offensive struggles. New Orleans had a top-10 scoring defense that held opponents to only 19.1 points per game, which was sixth-best in the NFL.
Hodges is a rising, young coach that comes from a situation where the defense is used to carrying the weight. The same has been true for the past two seasons in New England, and it could remain the case in 2024, as the team works to rebuild on offense.
