CBS Sports has ranked the NFL's best new coordinators at the midway point of the 2026 season, with Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon taking the top spot.
Gannon's unit ranks 10th in scoring defense (20.5 points per game allowed) and 10th in total defense (314.9 yards per game) despite the Packers having the league's worst rushing offense (60.6 yards per game) and missing star edge rusher Micah Parsons (torn ACL) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (torn Achilles). The Packers blitz at a 33.4% rate, 13th in the NFL, and have developed players like Lukas Van Ness (4.5 sacks) while safety Xavier McKinney has three interceptions.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham ranks second. His defense is third in scoring (18.0 points allowed per game), sixth in total defense (305.6 yards), and leads the league with 26 sacks. T.J. Watt has 7.5 sacks in eight games, tied for the league lead.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is third, guiding the NFL's third-highest scoring offense (29.0 points per game). He has maximized running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who has three 150-yard rushing games in 2026 after only two in his first three seasons combined.
Other top coordinators include San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris (fourth), Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (fifth), and New York Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy (sixth). Honorable mentions go to New York Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, and Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
