Broncos LB Dishes on How DC Ejiro Evero Gets his Impressive Results

Nathaniel Hackett admitted on Monday that he is very much coaching for his future with the Denver Broncos.

Many pundits and fans alike are now speculating, very reasonably, that Hackett's stay in the Mile High City might be spectacularly short-lived. Sunday's home stand vs. the Las Vegas Raiders could now provide the tipping point for Hackett — and maybe Josh McDaniels — depending on who comes out on the wrong end of the score-line.

Whom the Broncos might turn to if they had to jettison Hackett is understandably getting more column inches and clicks with every passing week. Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero could well be an NFL head coach in waiting.

The stellar performance of the Broncos' defensive unit, particularly in shutting down running back Derrick Henry on Sunday, only further embellished Evero’s already glowing resume.

On Monday, Broncos linebacker Josey Jewell pointed to Evero’s commitment to getting the basics right as being one of the major pillars upon which their ongoing success is built.

“The biggest thing is he just keeps on saying, ‘Keep on plugging away. Keep on doing our job.’ That’s the only thing we can do,” Jewell said. “We can be excited for them, we can cheer them on—which we do—but the biggest thing is staying focused on us because we don’t want to screw anything up, especially when they come out and play well. Just keep on plugging away and doing our job to the best of our ability.”

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Evero’s commitment to getting all his guys in the right spot to succeed provides a stark contrast to how rudderless the Broncos' offense looks under Hackett's stewardship. Jewell told reporters on Monday just how much fun he is having playing under his first-year defensive coordinator, and that contrasts starkly against how miserable the dynamics appear on the offensive side of the ball.

“I [have] really enjoyed him so far. This is probably the most fun I’ve had—this is the most fun I’ve had since I’ve been in the league [while] playing this type of defense and this amount of control,” Jewell said. “It’s been fun to play for him and just to hear his insight. [He’s] very vocal about it and he’ll talk about every single small, little thing and there’s no miscommunication there. It’s fun to talk to him. He’s an open book on the defense and a great teacher.”

Evero could be a red-hot head-coaching candidate this offseason, especially if his unit continues to lead the league in so many defensive categories. However, it's still a stretch to think that the new Broncos ownership group would look for anything other than a high-profile head coach to replace Hackett if they opt to fire him.

Letting a rising star like Evero slip through their fingers might be a decision the Walton/Penner ownership group regrets later on down the line.

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