Ejiro Evero may be more important to the Carolina Panthers’ 2023 success than what folks are already giving him credit for.
NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha recently named the five assistant coaches he believes will have the most impact for the upcoming season. Included the group was Carolina’s new defensive coordinator, who may hold the key to the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2017.
Chadiha writes:
There’s going to be a lot of attention around rookie quarterback Bryce Young in Carolina, especially since he was the first overall pick in this year’s draft. The reality is that there will be more pressure on the Panthers’ defense to help this franchise reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017. That is exactly why Evero is on this list. He’s an ascending talent, and he was one of the few positives for the Broncos in that frustrating 2022 campaign. As bad as Denver was last season, defense wasn’t the problem. That unit ranked seventh in the league in yards allowed and 14th in points surrendered.
The Panthers, on the other hand, allowed the 11th-most yards and the 14th-most points this past season. But, with their switch to a 3-4 base and the right players to do it with, Carolina could see Evero help improve those numbers and their final standing.
Evero is a disciple of former Broncos head coach and current Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, so that means he’s looking to forge a ball-hawking secondary and relentless pressure up front. He has the tools to create such chaos in Carolina, and the Panthers might be holding the division crown if he succeeds.
