Predicting the Las Vegas Raiders 2021 defensive coaching staff

Linebacker Coach – Jeff Ulbrich

This prediction is more of a shot in the dark and someone this writer hopes is on the Raiders’ radar. Jeff Ulbrich is a former NFL Linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers for nine seasons who became an NFL coach in 2015 with the Atlanta Falcons.

Not directly linked to any of the coaches in the Raiders search, Ulbrich, however coached under Dan Quinn in Atlanta, another coach from the Seattle defensive coaching tree so his familiarity with Bradley’s scheme is there.

Ulbrich took over as the defensive coordinator halfway through the 2020 season for the Falcons and is credited with designing the blitz schemes that helped catapult the Atlanta defense from 32nd in NFL sacks to tenth while he was in charge. Remember all those Derek Carr sacks and fumbles against the Falcons this year?

That had Ulbrich’s fingerprints all over it, and he also helped mold Deion Jones into the Pro Bowl Linebacker he is today.

Prior to coaching in the NFL, Ulbrich was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at UCLA where he helped turn Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks into eventual NFL draft picks, and both linebackers continue to have success in the NFL.

The Raiders current linebacker group: Nick Kwiatkoski, Cory Littleton, Nicholas Morrow, and Raekwon McMillan would benefit from his tutelage. None of these players are the star that Deion Jones is, but as a group, it is more quality depth than anything Ulbrich has had to work with so far in his NFL career.

NOTE: Joe Barry was not included in this section because as the current linebacker coach for the Rams, the organization can block him from making a lateral move however he is rumored to interview for the Raiders defensive coordinator position whenever the Rams post-season campaign concludes.

Honorable Mention: Mark Collins