The Raiders are meeting with a highly regarded candidate for the first defensive hire of the Josh McDaniels era. Las Vegas is set to interview former Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai Thursday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).
Desai’s NFL coaching career dates back to 2013 and had only been spent in Chicago until now. At the age of 38, he already has an impressive amount of experience between three different roles in the college ranks (including special teams coordinator at Boston College) and, most recently, the DC role he held with the Bears in 2021. With Matt Eberflus electing to bring a familiar face in Alan Williams with him from Indianapolis, though, Desai is in search of a new home.
One of the top young defensive minds in the coaching ranks, Desai’s unit ranked sixth in the league in yards allowed this season despite injuries to the likes of Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks. That success earned him interest from the Seahawks earlier this month, as they requested an interview for their DC vacancy.
While he hasn’t officially taken another position yet, current Raiders DC Gus Bradley certainly seems to be on the way out. Between this Desai interview and the meeting Bradley has already had with the Colts for their DC opening, there will apparently be a new voice for a Vegas defensive unit that ranked 26th in the league in points allowed in 2021.
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