Doug Pederson explains why he picked Ryan Nielsen to lead defense

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking for a boost on the defensive side of the ball and they tabbed Ryan Nielsen as the man to elevate the unit in 2024.

Nielsen’s credentials as a rising coaching talent are easy to see, but the Jaguars had no shortage of qualified candidates to choose from. Former Giants and Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and current Ravens pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt were among the handful of coaches who reportedly interviewed for the job before the Jaguars landed on Nielsen.

So why Nielsen?

“I love the fact that he’s coming in with a mindset of attacking and being aggressive,” Pederson told Jaguars.com during an interview at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. “How he wants to use our personnel on defense. We know we’ve got to add some pieces to that and add some depth and competition, but right there, just the fundamental details, the simplicity of what he’s teaching.”

Prior to getting hired as the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator, Nielsen spent six seasons with the New Orleans Saints, working his way up to co-defensive coordinator before working as the defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. In his sole season with the Falcons, he helped the team climb from No. 27 in the NFL in yards allowed to No. 11.

While Trent Baalke said he had little involvement in Pederson’s decision to hire Nielsen, the Jaguars general manager also said the chemistry between the coaches was easy to see during the interview process.

“Just the synergy that Coach [Pederson] and him had when they got up and started going back and forth on the board,” Baalke said. “The relationships that he talks about and has built through his career, the emphasis he puts on teaching. All things that were very attractive and he’s going to do a heck of a job for us.”

The Jaguars finished the 2023 season ranked No. 22 in yards allowed and No. 17 in points allowed.