Report: New York Giants assistant Patrick Graham expected to be named defensive coordinator for NFL team

The Las Vegas Raiders found their head coach in former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. And on Friday, McDaniels found his defensive coordinator, poaching him from the New York Giants.

According to NFL networks Tom Pelissero, sources close to the team report that the Raiders are hiring Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator. He also went on to add that the hire of Graham is “a huge get for Josh McDaniels.”

Graham has spent the majority of his time coaching in the NFL with the New England Patriots. He started in 2009 as a coaching assistant and has held multiple positional defensive coaching spots. Aside from working with the Patriots, he also worked with the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins. Graham had two stints with the New York Giants, with the most recent being the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the 2020-21 season.

McDaniels and Graham worked together for the New England Patriots. They were there together from 2012 to 2015.

Raiders add assistant GM

The Las Vegas Raiders are adding some Bluegrass flavor to its front office. On Wednesday afternoon, the Raiders announced that former Kentucky wide receiver Anthony “Champ” Kelly has been named the franchise’s assistant general manager.

After spending the last seven seasons with the Chicago Bears, Kelly will now work under general manager Dave Ziegler with the Raiders, who was hired earlier this week. Kelly, a 41-year old native of Florida, played at UK from 1998-2001, beginning his college career as a defensive back before moving to WR as a junior, when he played in 11 games including two starts.

Kelly later spent four seasons with the now-defunct indoor football team, the Lexington Horsemen (2003-06), and then another year on staff as the team’s wide receivers coach (2007). Most notably, he was also the Horsemen’s general manager in that 2007 season, as well.

His time in Lexington officially came to an end in 2007 when he accepted a position as a college scout for the Denver Broncos. Over the next several years, he would work his way up to the franchise’s assistant director of pro personnel before taking a position with the Bears in 2015, where he had been ever since.