Where is the Carolina Panthers’ pass rush going to come from in 2024? Well, there may be no better person to ask than defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
The highly-coveted 43-year-old play-caller spoke with reporters following Monday’s outing of training camp. He was asked about the biggest question mark facing his unit entering this season—their pass rush.
“We feel really good about the group,” Evero replied. “[Jadeveon] Clowney, obviously, his résumé speaks for itself. But the group is doing a heck of a job. They’re inexperienced, but there’s a lot of talent there. They’re working hard and they’re improving.”
Evero, who is entering his second season in Carolina, wasn’t able to generate much of a pass rush in his first. The Panthers finished last in the NFL in sacks for the 2023 campaign, recording just 27 takedowns of opposing quarterbacks.
That task may be tougher in 2024—especially after the departures of two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu and Yetur Gross-Matos. Carolina has tried to replenish those losses, as they signed veterans in Clowney, D.J. Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson this spring.
But it could be the younger guys who give the defense some answers.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth from a lot of young guys,” Evero added. “Gotta give a lot of kudos to Eku [Leota]. He’s done a really good job. DJ Johnson’s shown improvement. Luiji’s [Vilain] shown improvement. So it’s been fun to watch them develop.”
Leota must’ve been particularly fun for Evero to watch this past Thursday. The second-year outside linebacker was all over the field in Carolina’s preseason opener against the New England Patriots, as he notched a team-high four pressures as well as a pair of stops.
So hopefully for Leota and the rest of the group, the pressure stays on throughout the summer and into the regular season.
