Jesse Minter’s first year as an NFL defensive playcaller vaulted him among the rising names among league circles.
The Chargers Defensive Coordinator led a unit that was a revelation last season, finishing first in points allowed per game (17.7) and 11th in yards allowed per game (324.4).
And Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema has his eye on him entering the 2025 season.
Sikkema laid out five coordinators who could make headlines in the new season, with Minter being one of them after the impressive production in Year 1.
Sikkema wrote:
Minter has been part of Jim Harbaugh's coaching tree for four years now. He served as Harbaugh's defensive coordinator during Michigan's College Football Playoff and national championship runs in 2022 and 2023 before following him to Los Angeles as the Chargers' defensive coordinator.
In 2024, working with a largely inherited roster, Minter's defense impressed. The Chargers ranked fifth in EPA allowed per pass (-0.037) and posted the fifth-best team coverage grade (78.3). They also finished 12th in EPA allowed per rush (-0.124) and sixth in team run-defense grade (74.6).
A visual break down of the Chargers uniform throughout the years.
The Bolts have since bolstered Minter's unit in free agency and the draft with a number of editions.
And Sikkema believes if the group continues to be among the league's best, Minter could be a popular name next offseason.
Sikkema wrote:
With another offseason to mold the unit to his system, it's not far-fetched to expect top-10 — or even top-five — numbers again in 2025. And if that defensive success pairs with team wins, Minter's name will start surfacing in head coaching conversations.
The defensive coordinator has enjoyed his first full offseason as a playcaller, adding earlier in the year that he had a lot of time to review last season as well as add to this season.
It's why Minter is excited about another season at the helm.
"It's great to kind of have that first real offseason," Minter said earlier. "When you come in new, there's a lot of different things. You're trying to get your playbook together, you're trying to study the league, you're trying to hire coaches and different scenarios, so this offseason has been great."
He added: "Really looking forward to this new opportunity in 2025."
