Panthers DC Ejiro Evero Has Finally Been Given the Pieces He Needs But Must Show Up

The Carolina Panthers have come a long way from a 2-15 season in 2023, but they aren’t quite there yet. Yes, Dave Canales’s club won a tiebreaker with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons to capture the NFC South for the first time since 2015. However, all three clubs finished with 8-9 records, and it marked the eighth straight year that the Panthers were below the .500 mark.

Are the Carolina Panthers a Super Bowl contender?

Jaelan Phillips — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Matt Verderame of SI.com took a closer look at Carolina’s chances of winning Super Bowl LXI. He focused on all aspects of the team, from Canales and quarterback Bryce Young to general manager Dan Morgan’s offseason work in terms of adding talent on both sides of the ball. The Panthers’ big-ticket free agent additions were pass rusher Jaelan Phillips (Eagles) and 2025 Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd (Jaguars).

“Defensively, coordinator Ejiro Evero is trying to get his program going,” explained Verderame, “and now has the pieces to do it with the additions of Lloyd and Phillips joining Derrick Brown and Nic Scourton in the front seven.” Brown and Scourton tied for the team lead with five sacks in 2025.

Panthers’ defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has an interesting history

All told, Evero will begin his fifth season as an NFL defensive coordinator. There were previous coaching stints with the Buccaneers, 49ers, and Rams, but he got his first chance to be a DC in Denver in 2022. The Broncos allowed the seventh-fewest total yards per game, and finished with 36 sacks and 23 takeaways. They also allowed just 32 offensive TDs in 17 games, but the club finished a dismal 5-12.

Meanwhile, it’s been a rollercoaster for the Carolina defense under his tutelage dating back to 2023. The club has ranked fourth, dead last, and 16th, respectively, in the NFL in total defense the past three seasons. In terms of sacks, takeaways, and offensive touchdowns permitted, Evero’s defense have yet to match any of those numbers that he managed in Denver. Since 2023, no team in the league has totaled fewer quarterback traps (89) than the Panthers.

This could be the year the Panthers’ defense breaks out

Nic Scourton — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Could things change in 2026? Is Carolina’s defense primed for a breakthrough season? “Now with the most talent he’s had in Charlotte,” stated Verderame, “Evero could be calling a Top 10 defense once more.”

Despite signs of improvement this past season, especially against the run, the Panthers slumped in this area the second half of 2025. The second-round addition of defensive tackle Lee Hunter (Texas Tech) could help here in a big way. And if the pass rush finally breaks out of its sustained slump, this could be a unit that could cause concern for opposing offenses.

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