Panthers DC Ejiro Evero already likes what he sees from revamped defense

Carolina’s performance in 2023 was below average, however, their defensive coordinator, Ejiro Evero, stayed on. He is optimistic about what he sees in 2024.

It helps that a number of players with past ties to Evero are now in Charlotte: Linebacker Josey Jewell once peaked under Evero in Denver, while a couple of experienced Rams transplants (defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson and safety Jordan Fuller) have made the move east. Add in Jadeveon Clowney, Dane Jackson and D.J. Wonnum, and the Panthers will roll out a new-look defense filled with players who made impacts elsewhere.

Such kind of turnover could induce essential enhancements. Currently, Evero is perceiving a cultural change that might result in a significant leap this autumn.

“The one thing I will say is that I’m really, really, really excited about the group of guys that we have right now,” Evero said Thursday, via the team’s official site. “These first four days have just been really exciting and we know that we’ve got a lot of good football players, talented football players, but also just the football dialogue.

I’m excited because our current football discussions, encompassing all the different positions, are at an incredibly high level when we convene as a group.

Often, replacing former members of a failing team with role players who’ve proven their worth in superior clubs turns out to be a smart strategy. However, Carolina did not necessarily require such drastic alterations, given that Evero managed a group that ranked fourth in total defense, despite being 29th in scoring defense.

These maneuvers were primarily about the experience acquired under Evero in improved settings — and the aspiration that they’ll establish a more robust culture in Carolina.

“Although I wouldn’t necessarily say we’re better equipped, I certainly feel more optimistic about our starting position than last year,” Evero expressed. “This is mostly due to the experience and understanding of our system that our players now have. The majority have already been exposed to some form of our system, using the same terminology and communication tactics,” he added.

So, from this perspective, we have made much more progress than we had at this point last year.

It’s fair to question whether Evero is just basking in the glow of an active offseason. After all, the Panthers did lose two of their best defenders this spring, trading Brian Burns to New York and watching the eternally underrated Frankie Luvu bail for Washington. They also lost C.J. Henderson, Vonn Bell and Donte Jackson from a secondary that finished with a top-three ranking against the pass.

On the other hand, opposing teams didn’t need to pass the ball frequently as they found plenty of success running against the Panthers’ 23rd-ranked run defense. This is where Evero identifies the greatest opportunity for improvement.

“Big difference, big difference. When you think about A’Shawn and Derrick (Brown, who signed a lucrative extension after a breakout 2023) and Shy (Tuttle), it doesn’t get any bigger than that,” Evero said. “In terms of having a big front, guys that are physical, could play the run games, guys that are very, very intelligent, and understand angles and blocking schemes and things of that nature.

So yes, we are enthusiastic about the potential of our run defense this year.

The Panthers’ game will commence from the front on both defense and offense. However, as the offensive team tries to improve its dismal rank from being the last in 2023, it’s Evero’s responsibility to guarantee that his team performs its duties, maybe even beyond, to maintain Carolina’s competitiveness.