Why the Raiders Should Hire Mike Smith as a Defensive Coordinator

Initially, it was good news to hear about the Oakland Raiders' interest in interviewing former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith for the defensive coordinator position, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com:

If you're aware of Smith's NFL track record, the news was quite invigorating considering the Raiders' young, developing defensive front.

Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 Washington followed up with some deflating news for Smith supporters in Raider Nation:

This is a bit surprising considering Smith and new head coach Jack Del Rio worked well together for six seasons in Jacksonville. Del Rio was the head coach, and Smith was the defensive coordinator. Together, they helped foster a fierce front seven that constantly challenged Peyton Manning and the Colts in the AFC South.

In four out of six seasons, the Jaguars defense ranked in the top 10 in points allowed.

Year	Points Allowed	Ranked
2003	20.7 ppg	18th
2004	17.5 ppg	7th
2005	16.8 ppg	6th
2006	17.1 ppg	4th
2007	19.0 ppg	10th
2008	22.9 ppg	21st

The defensive line was aggressive, led by Marcus Stroud and John Henderson, during most of Smith's tenure with the franchise. Both defensive tackles were equipped to stop the run and apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks, which increased turnover opportunities for the defensive backs.

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Under Smith, Stroud accumulated 18 sacks and Henderson 19.5 sacks between the 2003 and 2008 seasons. The numbers are more significant considering the Jaguars played in a 4-3 base defense, where the quarterback pressure typically stems from the defensive ends.

Smith was also able to optimize production from players with average talent. In 2005, Reggie Hayward and Paul Spicer combined for 16 sacks as catalysts to a successful 12-4 record.

In the following season, another set of middling defensive ends led the team in sacks—Bobby McCray (10) and Rob Meier (five). Unrelenting quarterback pressure was Jacksonville's signature under Smith's game plan.

When Smith took over as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he showed more of his coaching capabilities. The Falcons were in shambles and entered full rebuild mode when the Michael Vick era in Atlanta came to an end. The former defensive coordinator took on a larger role and galvanized the franchise. The Falcons made the playoffs in Smith's first year as head coach.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Even though the defensive intricacies are delegated to a coordinator, Smith likely had some input based on his expertise.

The Falcons were often classified as a high-powered offense during Smith's tenure. However, the team ranked as a top-five defense in points allowed in 2010 and 2012. In both seasons, the Falcons were 13-3 and a serious Super Bowl contender.

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

You can trace Smith's defensive prowess back to the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in 2000. Smith was a defensive assistant/defensive line coach under the tutelage of Rex Ryan. He was promoted to the linebackers coach and continued to maintain a stout and aggressive core on defense with the likes of Peter Boulware, Ed Hartwell and Ray Lewis.

Though Smith is still a long shot to land the Raiders DC position, passing on his candidacy would be a huge mistake unless the college candidate has some NFL experience.

Developing and optimizing defensive talent is crucial in preventing an increasing number of capable offenses from running amok on susceptible secondaries. 

In Oakland's case, it has some building blocks—Khalil Mack and Sio Moore—and could possibly draft another in Leonard Williams, Randy Gregory or Shane Ray.

Del Rio is a defensive-minded coach, but he needs a coordinator who will develop a prevalent pass rush to alleviate pressure on a young core of defensive backs.

Bringing in a college coach is an innovative approach. Nonetheless, there aren't many solid defenses on the college level, which makes it difficult to spot defensive coordinators deserving of an NFL position without experience with the pros. Furthermore, it's hard to see a better fit than Smith with Del Rio on the Raiders coaching staff.