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5 defensive coordinators the NY Giants can target if Wink Martindale leaves

By Desmond Novack

Giants defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale during warm ups prior to the Houston Texans at the New York Giants in a game played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on November 13, 2022.The Houston Texans Face The New York Giants In A Game Played At Metlife Stadium In East Rutherford Nj On November 13 2022
Giants defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale during warm ups prior to the Houston Texans at the New York Giants in a game played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on November 13, 2022.The Houston Texans Face The New York Giants In A Game Played At Metlife Stadium In East Rutherford Nj On November 13 2022 /
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With the offseason officially starting for the NY Giants after their Divisional Round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, both Wink Martindale and Mike Kafka have begun their interviews with other teams to potentially become head coaches.

With that being said, there is a solid chance that the Giants could be looking for a new defensive coordinator if Martindale accepts a head coaching position elsewhere. Martindale has been vocal about his wishes to be a head coach in the past, so if he’s offered a position, he will more than likely accept it.

Will it be with the Colts? If Wink does head to Indy, here’s a look at five DCs the Giants could end up targeting to replace him.

5. NY Giants defensive line coach Andre Patterson

In the case that Martindale decides to pack his bags, it may be simpler for the Giants to hire someone within the organization. In that case, defensive lineman coach Andre Patterson may be New York’s best option.

Not only is Patterson familiar with the players he’d be coaching, but he is also responsible for coaching up some of the better defensive linemen in the NFL in the forms of Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams alongside players like Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, and Danielle Hunter during his time in Minnesota.

Patterson has done a pretty darn good job at maximizing talent on the defensive line, so there’s a good chance this could translate to other positions on defense if he begins running the show. This wouldn’t be Patterson’s first experience as a defensive coordinator, as in 2020 and 2021, he served as the co-defensive coordinator for the Vikings before eventually coming to the Giants in 2022, where he coached up the aforementioned Lawrence to the best year of his career.

During his time with the Vikings, Patterson, alongside Adam Zimmer, employed a 4-3 defense, which may not work the best with the Giants considering their personnel, but we’re sure Patterson would change up his plan in order to best serve this Giants team.

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