Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has had his share of critics. Going into his fourth season with Carolina, his tenure bears the ugly stain of a 2024 defense that gave up the most points in the Super Bowl era, The 6,877 yards given up were the second-most in history. When the season came to an end, the 2024 Panthers defense was dead last in points, total yards, yards per play, and first downs surrendered. In short, they couldn’t stop a nose bleed. Given owner David Tepper’s penchant for pink slips, many thought Evero – a name mentioned in the head coaching hiring cycle the offseason before – would be given his walking papers.
Instead, a more tempered approach was taken. Perhaps it was the hiring of Dan Morgan as the general manager; or the fact that after giving up a king’s ransom to trade up and draft Bryce Young in 2023, the focus had been on offensive reinforcements. Injuries to key defensive players, along with the free agency departures of Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu, certainly did not help With those factors taken into consideration, Evero’s contract was quietly extended after that forgettable 2024 season and Morgan & Co. set their sights on rehabilitating that side of the ball. Through some strong free agency moves and the the draft, the defense climbed out of the pits and toward the median of the league’s rankings. Now, after more strong offseason acquisitions, Evero is challenging his guys to take the next step.
After signing Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips, and drafting Will Lee and Zakee Wheatley, some are predicting a top-10 defense. Still, with the sour taste of the final defensive drive of the Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams still on the tips of their tongues, there are still those skeptical of Evero’s highly-criticized 3-4 defensive scheme. However, those whose opinions matter the most are loyal to the plan.
Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn calls Evero “a wizard”.
“A lot of people complain about the aggressiveness of the defense. I guess (they) want to see guys up more, but we’re probably gonna do more of that. You need people on each level to be able to do that too. But I think he doesn’t get enough credit for his game plan and how that 2-high shell takes a lot of quarterbacks out of their game and limits the amount of explosive plays we have to defend and hard downs we have. So, I think it’s a great defense. Coach E is just a wizard when it comes to breaking down teams and pretty much having a good beat on what they’re going to do going into the game.”
Horn’s backfield partner Mike Jackson echoes the same sentiments, coming off his most productive NFL season to date. “If we make the play and win the game, nobody is saying anything. People saying that the defense is not good, but that defense got me five picks, so in my mind, it’s a great defense.”
For those that still can’t see the vision, perhaps the picture will become more clear this season with the addition of Lloyd, a linebacker with a nose for the ball unlike any Carolina linebacker since Luke Kuechly. Like Jackson, he managed to pluck down five interceptions last season – a tally as high as every Panthers inside linebacker combined since Luke Kuechly retired before the 2020 season. The addition of Phillips to a promising outside linebacker room that includes Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, Travis Gipson, and Pat Jones II, should yield a more aggressive pass rush.
Rookie Lee Hunter joins a formidable group in the trenches, anchored by Derrick Brown and Bobby Brown III. The secondary welcomes rookies Lee and Wheatley, and get Corey Thornton back. Thornton was having a promising rookie season that was cut short when he suffered a broken leg in the Monday Night Football loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
One of the early observations of minicamp saw Chau Smith-Wade, a third year player, spending time as the second safety next to Tre’Von Moehrig. His athleticism and versatility allows Evero to play with different looks in the secondary. Smith-Wade spent the better part of his first two seasons playing nickel – a role he’d never taken on previously. Head coach Dave Canales has no doubt that he can flourish in this new role.
“Chau is such a cerebral player. He’s a guy we really trust and someone we’ve trained with our first draft class, and he gives us versatility. He can play the nickel. He’s played the safety for us in that position, and to be interchangeable with those positions, you can give different looks. He can also play outside, so he brings a lot to the table, and it’s a really competitive DB room.”
Having added playmakers at every level, perhaps this is the season that fans will get to see Evero’s complete vision. It’s difficult to employ a scheme without proper personnel; but it appears that after three seasons in Carolina, Evero’s “got his guys”.
