2 Ravens assistants to interview for Dolphins, Packers defensive coordinator vacancies

The team might be losing more than their defensive play caller.

The Baltimore Ravens had the best defense in the league during the 2023 regular and postseason, they dominated and posted historic numbers. Second-year Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald might be as good as gone given the reports that the teams he has interviewed with have been blown away. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that one person involved with the search went as far as to call him “The defensive Sean McVay.”

While he was the orchestrator of the NFL’s top unit, he is far from the only Ravens defensive assistant coach that other teams are interested in to fill the vacancies on their coaching staff. On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that Ravens Associate Head Coach and Defensive Line Coach Anthony Weaver spent hours interviewing for the Washington Commanders’ vacant head coaching position, and next up, he’ll be interviewing to fill the defensive coordinator opening for the Miami Dolphins.

Weaver is a former player turned coach who has previous experience as a defensive play caller with the Houston Texans. He has served as Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh’s top assistant for the past two seasons and as the defensive run game coordinator in 2021 when the Ravens finished with the top run defense in the league. The 43-year-old has also overseen the development of breakout defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who led the team and all interior defensive linemen with a career-high 13 sacks in 2023.

With the news that Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson informed both the Commanders and Seattle Seahawks that he won’t be moving on this hiring cycle, Weaver might just wind up as the next head coach in the nation’s capital if Macdonald opts to fill the vacancy in the Pacific Northwest. If not, the defensive talent down in Miami is plentiful at all three levels, especially in the trenches with the likes of Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Zach Sieler, and Christian Wilkins if retained.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Green Bay Packers requested to interview Ravens Inside Linebacker Coach Zach Orr for their defensive coordinator position. Since being forced to retire following a promising career as a player for the Ravens in which he earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2016, Orr has emerged as one of the brighter young coaches in the league and was one of Macdonald’s top assistants.

If hired to replace Joe Berry in Green Bay, he’d be inheriting a defense loaded with first-round talent that has underwhelmed up to this point, but came on strong in their last few games to close out the regular season and in their two playoff games.

Other Ravens defensive assistants that have garnered interest for defensive coordinator openings include Defensive Backs Coach Dennard Wilson, and Secondary Coach and Defensive Pass Game Coordinator Chris Hewitt.