Predicting NFL head coach hires: Who will lead top 2021 NFL Draft picks?
Tennessee Titans. Arthur Smith. 6. Pick Analysis. 50. Scouting Report. Offensive Coordinator. player
Like Bieniemy, Arthur Smith seems to be one of the very first candidates that NFL teams want to talk to for their head coach position. Maybe they are seeing how well the last Titans offensive coordinator turned head coach (Matt LaFleur in Green Bay) is doing and hope to replicate that success.
Even after losing a great offensive mind like LaFleur, the Tennessee Titans have not missed a beat on offense under Arthur Smith. Smith’s Titan offense lead the team to back-to-back playoff appearances, including a shot at the AFC title in 2019/20. It may seem to many that his job is as simple as calling a handoff to Derrick Henry, but Smith also has Ryan Tannehill looking like a top tier quarterback in the NFL.
The Lions opted for a defensive-minded head coach the last time they were in this spot with Matt Patricia, so maybe this time they eye that creative offensive mind. Whether it is Matthew Stafford or anyone else under center (possibly a 2021 NFL Draft pick), Smith has shown that he can find ways to succeed. Also, if the team commits to Deandre Swift as a feature back, he could break out as a star in this league under Smith.
My pick: Matt Eberflus, Defensive Coordinator, Indianapolis Colts
Unlike Arthur Smith who has interviewed everywhere, Matt Eberflus has only interviewed with two teams thus far. Although he did decline the chance to interview with the Texans, leading many to believe that he is confident that he will land a gig as an NFL head coach elsewhere, spots fade fast.
If the Jets stick with Saleh and the Los Angeles Chargers opt to go in a different direction, Eberflus may find himself on the outside looking in. That would be a real shame in my mind, as I believe that Eberflus could be the best head coach candidate in the pool this offseason.
Everywhere that Eberflus has gone, he has made a notable impact. At Missouri, he coached linebacker Sean Weatherspoon to a top 10 pick. In Cleveland, Eberflus’ linebacking corps overcame an injury to thrive. And in Dallas, Eberflus once again proved to be a mastermind with linebackers, overseeing the success of the likes of DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Sean Lee, Anthony Hitchens, Jaylon Smith and more.
After all of his success as a position coach, Eberflus finally got the chance to be a defensive coordinator in 2018 with the Indianapolis Colts. Hired by Josh McDaniels, Eberflus stayed on with Frank Reich after McDaniels opted to go back to New England. In his two seasons with the Colts, Eberflus turned that defense from one of the worst to one of the best in the league, with the lowest defensive payroll in football.
Players like Darius Leonard, Kenny Moore and Anthony Walker really broke out under Eberflus, and the Lions could use a force like that. One that they had hoped to get the last time around. Give him this young Lions defense and a top-seven 2021 NFL Draft pick and he will have this team performing at a high level in no time.