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imagn's Mark Konezny

This is not a year in which many coordinators are considered can't miss in terms of landing an NFL job, but Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is emerging as the closest thing to it. Daboll's offense with the Bills, and the drastic improvement by quarterback Josh Allen in his third season, is not lost on any owner already conducting a coaching search, or those planning on it, and he will have no shortage of opportunities to interview for jobs, league sources said.

Any team that is prizing having a quarterback guru as part of its head coaching profile is very likely to reach out to Daboll, whose offense has been the talk of the league with Allen rising from somewhat erratic to MVP candidate under his tutelage. Daboll also was a part of New England's staffs under Bill Belichick that won five Super Bowls and he won an NCAA title on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama.

Daboll, 45, is in tune with the changes being made to modernize offense at the college level, which has bled into the NFL, and checks a lot of the boxes that owners will be looking for in 2021. Daboll began meriting head coaching consideration last year but is almost certain to receive heightened interest in the coming weeks. 

The Jets, Falcons and Jaguars (particularly if they land Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick) could all be in play for Daboll, and while the Chargers have not yet made a coaching change many in the NFL anticipate it coming next week; quarterback Justin Herbert looks like a potential superstar as a rookie and Chargers general manager Tom Telesco and Daboll went to high school together.

Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is another hot candidate on that side of the ball, although Smith lacks the depth of coaching experience of Daboll at the college and pro level and is only in his second year as the Titans playcaller.