Ranking AFC East head coaches before 2024 free agency

4. Jerod Mayo

When putting these rankings together, it only made sense to put Jerod Mayo in the fourth spot because he's yet to coach an NFL game. Mayo was a first-round pick by the Patriots in the 2008 NFL Draft and spent his entire eight-year career in New England, winning a Super Bowl with the Pats in the 2014 season.

Mayo joined the Patriots coaching staff in 2019 as the inside linebackers coach and he served in that role through the 2023 season. When Belichick was relieved of his duties following the 2023 campaign, Mayo was hired to replace him and to say he has big shoes to fill is an understatement.

Maybe Mayo ends up being a solid head coach and manages to remain in New England for over 20 years like Belichick did. Until we see what he can do as a head coach though, I can't rank him any higher than fourth.