Are Vance Joseph, Brian Flores & Steve Spagnuolo OVERRATED or ELITE in Defensive Play-Caller Tiers?

NFL defensive masterminds take center stage as Mike McDonald, Vic Fangio, and Vance Joseph headline the rankings for best play callers entering 2026. Are these coordinators the secret weapon for a Super Bowl-caliber defense? Joe Marino and Kyle Crabbs tier all 32 NFL defensive play callers, sparking debate over Steve Spagnuolo’s Hall of Fame credentials and the evolving legacies of Brian Flores, Robert Saleh, and emerging names like Anthony Campanile and Jesse Minter. The discussion dives into team-specific dynamics—from the Denver Broncos’ defensive resurgence under Vance Joseph to the Kansas City Chiefs’ consistency under Spagnuolo. Listener intrigue ramps up as the hosts question Jonathan Gannon’s struggles with the Arizona Cardinals and project breakout potential for Denard Wilson with the New York Giants. With sharp takes on defensive schemes, coaching trees, and critical injuries, this episode unlocks insight on which teams are poised for dominance and which have reason for concern. Photo Credit:  Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. Square Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/lockedonnfl! #squarepod Betterhelp This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at http://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Ultra Pouches Don’t sleep on Ultra Pouches. New customers get 15% Off with code LOCKEDONNFL at https://takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad Warby ParkerOur listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/LOCKEDONNFL — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad OdooGreat organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.  FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.