Ejiro Evero’s future with the Panthers is tricky to predict

The Panthers defense continues to struggle in 2024. But is moving away from Ejiro Evero the answer? Well, it’s not that easy.

The 2024 campaign has largely been a pretty rough one for the 3-11 Carolina Panthers, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention this past Sunday. And one of the key reasons for this season of struggles has been the team’s league-worst defense—which has allowed the most points per game (29.9) and the second-most yards per game (386.2).

While the group was on track to take a step back following the losses of linebackers Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu, what’s been left is far worse than what most may have imagined. Now, with the organization possibly preparing to go full Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on the unit this upcoming offseason, the job security of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero feels quite uncertain.

Many had hoped Evero would be the type of coach who could elevate the talent at his disposal. He was able to do so with the third-ranked passing defense in 2023—when players such as cornerbacks D’Shawn Jamison and Dicaprio Bootle were starting in place of Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson.

So why couldn’t he do it this year?

Well, it’s become very clear that the Panthers have been rolling out players who might be better fits on some UFL rosters. They lacked depth on all three levels entering the season—and losing Pro Bowl defensive tackle Derrick Brown and inside linebacker Shaq Thompson early on only magnified their issues.

Carolina lacks quality talent nearly everywhere on defense. For any defensive coordinator, that is hard to overcome—but at some point, the coaching staff must be able to make up for those holes.

Evero is from the Vic Fangio tree, and is known for his unique disguises with coverages out of Cover 3 base alignments and how he generates pressure. That approach yielded admirable results, both in 2022 with the Denver Broncos and in 2023 with the Panthers.

Yet, Evero has his downfalls. While is system has shown to work in the past, there is very little margin for error and a lack of diversity in coverages used.

After this past weekend’s 30-14 loss to the Cowboys, Horn had told Panthers beat writer Sheena Quick that he would prefer to travel with All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, but had to play within the scheme. Lamb tallied nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown—most of which occurred outside of Horn’s control.

Head coach Dave Canales made a tangible point in Monday’s press conference about why Horn played within the scheme Sunday:

Why doesn’t Jaycee Horn travel? Here’s what Dave Canales has to say about that. #Panthers pic.twitter.com/NB4sxFSO9E

— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) December 16, 2024

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Horn’s comments were eye-opening—especially in a game where the Panthers needed to win to keep their momentum from three consecutive near-upsets against playoff-bound teams.

A talent like his should be traveling with someone like Lamb, Mike Evans, A.J. Brown or any team’s game-changing No. 1 pass catcher. Defensive backs Mike Jackson and Chau Smith-Wade have both flashed the capability to handle one-on-one man coverage snaps and play sufficiently, but they’re not Jaycee Horn.

A defensive coordinator must be diverse with his system. And to this point during his time with Carolina, Evero hasn’t done enough in terms of mixing and matching coverages and putting the players he has on the field in the best positions to succeed.

Unfortunately, he is also dealing with a talent disparity. This is why deciding on his future will be a tough one for Canales and the Panthers.

Connor Rogers of the NFL Stock Exchange Podcast recently explained in a Carolina edition of “Fix the Franchise” that it is dangerous to fire someone like Evero. Along with his track record of recent success, the continuity he’d provide into a third year is important for a rebuilding roster.

Should Carolina allow Evero to coach out the final year of his contract in 2025, there will likely be a total revamp of the defensive talent.

The safety room should look very different next year, as should the depth and overall level of talent up front, at the second level and within the secondary. Giving Evero the right pieces to operate the unit he needs to field a successful defense will be paramount.

In the right circumstances, Evero is an adequate defensive coordinator and future head coach. His players compete and play with incredible effort.

Yet, no one should fault the Panthers for wanting to try something new and move off of another piece from the failed Frank Reich regime.

The next three games for Evero may be a three-week interview process for 2025.

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Panthers DC Ejiro Evero: We have to ‘keep the pocket dirty’ on Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

Panthers DC Ejiro Evero understands how daunting of a task defending Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is.

Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero certainly knows what he’s getting into when it comes to facing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and three-time Super Bowl champion was a hot topic of discussion during Evero’s media availability on Thursday morning. He was asked about facing Mahomes in Carolina’s upcoming Week 12 matchup against the defending champs.

“He is, obviously, a great player. One of the best players in our league,” Evero replied. “In terms of throwing the ball, keeping plays alive, playing off-schedule—he can do everything. He’s intelligent, he sees the field and there’s really no weakness to his game. So, yeah, it’s gonna be a tremendous challenge for us and we all understand that.”

Evero probably understood that rather clearly in 2022, when he matched up against Mahomes and the Chiefs on two occasions as the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator. Kansas City came out with wins in both contests, with Mahomes passing for a combined 680 yards and six touchdowns.

“We certainly gave up some explosive plays—which we would like to have back, which I would like to have back,” Evero recalled of those AFC West tilts. “But I do think it’s important that [we] try to get pressure on him, try to keep the pocket dirty around him—that’s gonna be really, really important. And so our front guys understand that they’re gonna play a big, big role in this game.”

Some of those guys played a big, big role in the Panthers’ last game—a 20-17 overtime win over the New York Giants in Week 10. Chief among the group was veteran defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, who recorded a sack and a forced fumble.

But, uh, we’re thinking this one will be a tad tougher for Evero, Robinson and the rest of the Carolina defense, no?

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Panthers defense features 4 ex-Broncos players

Panthers DC Ejiro Evero has four ex-Broncos players on his defense, headlined by linebacker Josey Jewell.

The Carolina Panthers’ defense will look familiar when the Denver Broncos host the NFC South opponent in Week 8.

Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero held that same role with the Broncos in 2022, and he has recruited four ex-Denver defenders to Carolina.

The list of players is headlined by inside linebacker Josey Jewell, who started 58 games for the Broncos from 2018-2023. Carolina also has outside linebacker Thomas Incoom, who spent last season in Denver.

The Panthers also have two former Broncos defensive linemen in DeShawn Williams (2018; 2019; 2020-2022) and Jonathan Harris (2019-2023), who just landed in Charlotte earlier this week.

Additionally, Carolina also has ex-Denver running back Mike Boone on the practice squad. Sunday will be a bit of a homecoming game for these five players and Evero.

Ex-Broncos players on the Panthers

1. ILB Josey Jewell

2. OLB Thomas Incoom

3. DL DeShawn Williams

4. DL Jonathan Harris

5. RB Mike Boone (practice squad)

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map).

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Panthers sign ex-Denver defensive lineman ahead of Broncos game

Ex-Broncos DC Ejiro Evero is adding ex-Denver DL Jonathan Harris to the Panthers’ rotation ahead of a trip to the Mile High City in Week 8.

The Carolina Panthers are adding a former Denver Broncos defensive lineman ahead of their trip to the Mile High City in Week 8.

The Panthers signed defensive lineman Jonathan Harris off the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad on Tuesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Carolina also added Cam Gill off the Detroit Lions’ practice squad.

Harris (6-5, 295 pounds) played for the Broncos from 2019-2023. He is familiar with the Panthers’ scheme after having played under Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who held that role in Denver in 2022.

Harris, 28, had the best season of his career last fall, dressing for all 17 games while earning five starts. He totaled 43 tackles (including four behind the line), four quarterback hits and one sack with the Broncos in 2023.

Denver opted not to re-sign Harris when he hit free agency this spring and the defensive lineman landed in Miami. He will now join the Panthers just in time to face his old team.

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Ejiro Evero, Panthers defense must get back to basics in injury-filled season

Panthers DC Ejiro Evero has to iron out his unit’s fundamentals, or else we’re all in for a very long season.

Despite finishing fourth in total defense in 2023, the Carolina Panthers were expected to take somewhat of a step down on that side of the ball this season. And, uh, they’ve gone down . . . way down.

With the organization’s focus turned mainly towards their struggling offense during the offseason, there was an understanding that the defense could take a hit or two. The unit would proceed to lose two key contributors in Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu as well as two former second-round picks in linebacker Yetur Gross-Matos and safety Jeremy Chinn.

Much of the money that would have been allocated to keep those defenders around was then utilized on the offense. Carolina dished out the dollars to fix their weak interior, signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to long-term deals worth a combined $153 million.

On paper, the moves seemed reasonable. The Panthers were able to fortify a huge weakness from last season while expecting the brilliance of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero to patch up the losses in his personnel.

But after a 1-4 start and a litany of injuries to key starters, the latter has not happened.

The Panthers, through five weeks, have allowed the most points and the fifth-most yards in the NFL. They’re 27th against the run, 23rd against the pass and 28th in Expected Points Added (EPA) per play.

Their big-play department, much like it did in 2023, has lacked as well. Carolina has amassed the second-fewest amount of sacks (six) and sits in the middle of the pack in takeaways (five).

In other words, it’s one of the worst defenses in franchise history thus far—and there are no signs of that changing.

At least some slack should be given, as the group has already lost Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown and team captain and longtime linebacker Shaq Thompson for the rest of the campaign. But there’s a serious issue in the lack of fundamentals, and that comes back to Evero and his staff.

The interior defensive linemen have struggled to display active hands, generate pressure, maintain two-gap discipline and stop the run. Tackling has been a problem as well, especially from the secondary.

Preseason acquisition and starting cornerback Mike Jackson has been hit or miss in some games this season. Safety Nick Scott has missed multiple assignments, including issues with zone transitions and taking pass-offs—one of which resulted in a touchdown in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears.

Xavier Woods, one of the better free safeties in the league, continues to be streaky as a tackler too—electing to go for big hits instead of applying proper technique as a tackler in space.

Again, there’s much to be said about the lack of health and the lack of talent. Some may argue that general manager Dan Morgan and his predecessor Scott Fitterer have failed to give the Panthers and Evero enough depth.

Yet, the fundamentals must be better—regardless of who’s on the field. While Evero garners clout from across the league for putting his players in the best places to succeed, he has not done so this year.

This is not to say Evero is a bad defensive coordinator. With semi-NFL-caliber talent, this is a much better unit.

But 2024 will continue to be a long season of constant inconsistencies on defense if the basics aren’t ironed out.

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Biggest takeaways from the Panthers’ Week 3 win over the Raiders

The Panthers offense came to life in Week 3 behind the arm of Andy Dalton and the mind of Dave Canales.

After a few days of being under the national spotlight for the wrong reasons, the Carolina Panthers capped off a tumultuous week with a stunning road win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The 36-22 victory saw the Panthers lead by as many as 27 points, and proved to be a thorough triumph in all phases of the game.

Let’s take a look at some of the key takeaways from a much-needed, feel-good victory in Sin City . . .

Carolina’s offense takes a massive leap forward

The viability of the Panthers offense was questioned after the benching of struggling second-year quarterback Bryce Young. But head coach Dave Canales, with a little help from new starter Andy Dalton, responded in a big way.

Carolina hit the 400-yard mark for the first time since Week 17 of the 2022 campaign. They amassed 437 total yards at 6.2 yards per play while converting on five third-down tries, more than doubling their combined total from the previous two weeks.

Sunday also marked the first time since 2022 that they finished a game with a 300-yard passer (Dalton), a 100-yard rusher (Chuba Hubbard) and a 100-yard receiver (Diontae Johnson). Canales, with Hubbard and Johnson as his primary weapons, dialed up a sound game as a play-caller with consistent selections and put his group in positions to win.

They will, however, have to answer a new question regarding the status of veteran wideout Adam Thielen—who exited the game due to the hamstring injury he sustained on his 31-yard touchdown grab. If he’s to miss some time, will the offense still be able produce without one of their top targets?

The “Red Rifle” fires on all cylinders

Dalton shined in his first start of the 2024 season, completing 26 of his 37 throws for 319 yards and three touchdowns. His performance helped him become the first NFL quarterback this season to amass at least 300 passing yards along with three passing scores.

The 36-year-old vet reacted well to the Raiders defense, especially on pressures and in third-down distances. He showcased his fearlessness to test the middle of the field with success, connecting with Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette for some explosive plays.

He displayed quality ball placement and layering on throws to each level of the field. This is something we haven’t seen consistently since Cam Newton’s time in Carolina.

After a heavy week, Dalton enjoyed the opportunity in Sunday’s win and wanted to make sure his teammates were having fun in the process.

“You know, guys were having fun,” Dalton told reporters. “I was trying to make sure the guys were having fun because you put in a ton of work for this thing. And for you to get out there, it’s like now you get time to just go and enjoy the work that you put in.”

Dalton’s outing signaled one thing—that he is the team’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.

The Panthers show improvement on defense

Carolina’s offense wasn’t the only unit limping into Week 3. The team also had troubles on defense, as they allowed their opponents to run rampant over the first two games of the year.

But Sunday saw their best effort yet, one that included a heck of a lot more stops.

Las Vegas converted on just three of their 11 third-down tries and one of their three fourth-down looks. The Panthers, in addition, racked up a season-high three sacks as well as an interception of Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew.

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero should be particularly proud of the unit’s stand against the run, as they held their opposition to just 55 rushing yards—an impressive feat considering the struggles in recent weeks.

Linebacker Josey Jewell also rebounded after having a rough outing against the Los Angeles Chargers a week ago, displaying better run fits and physicality at the point of attack. Rookie Trevin Wallace saw playing time on defense for the first time this season, as both an edge rusher and as a chess piece in coverage.

Cornerback Mike Jackson had a terrific game as well—posting nine solo tackles, three passes defensed and an interception. The former Seahawk is solidifying himself as the team’s No. 2 cornerback going forward, even when free-agent signee Dane Jackson reenters the picture. Jackson’s coverage prowess and run support have made him a strong fit in Evero’s system.

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Biggest takeaways from Panthers’ Week 2 loss to Chargers

It just might be time to have an uncomfortable talk about Bryce Young.

For the second week in a row, the Carolina Panthers have dropped a dud in beginning their 2024 season. This time, they ate a 26-3 loss at the hands of the visiting Los Angeles Chargers here in Week 2.

Once again, there’s plenty to question when it comes to these Panthers, who are keeping up their reputation as the worst product in the NFL. But, even in another embarrassing defeat, there are some positives to pull.

Here are four key takeaways from Sunday:

A conversation is needed about Bryce Young

Simply put, Young—who passed for a career-low 84 yards—is a shell of what he used to be when he dominated the college football landscape.

He’s showing a lack of confidence as a passer, he’s been off with his reads and hasn’t been sharp on his progressions. Young looks overwhelmed, evidenced by his 55.3-percent completion rate and three interceptions to this point.

Confidence from the fanbase has also withered significantly, as the faithful have begun calls for backup Andy Dalton. And even if the Panthers were to make a very improbable switch, the problems of this offense are too much for the veteran to fix.

So, what’s next?

The Panthers are determined to roll with their second-year starter in hopes of finding any rhythm or confidence. However, it’s hard to ignore the incompetent play from Young—who is beginning to look like someone who could be on his way out of Carolina much, much sooner than expected.

Panthers find success running the football

Carolina got a bit of offense going on the ground, where first-string back Chuba Hubbard ran for 64 yards on just 10 carries. As a whole, the unit tallied 90 rushing yards at a solid 5.0 yards per attempt.

But when a team goes one-for-12 on third downs and averages just 2.5 yards per pass attempt, the “establishing the run” mentality goes out the window.

It might be time for head coach Dave Canales to take a page out of the Chargers’ book and adjust. The Los Angeles offense, which rushed for 219 yards, dominated the time of possession (36:18 to 23:42) and had Carolina in a chokehold throughout the afternoon.

Perhaps it’s time for Hubbard, who only touched the ball four times today, to assume a more featured role moving forward.

Offensive line offers another steady performance

A bright spot for the Panthers has been their improved offensive line. While nowhere near the elite level that we see in Kansas City of Philadelphia, it’s a unit that has held its own thus far.

Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu remains the key weakness, but seemingly had a quiet day outside of a holding call in the second half. This is still an important season for him, and he must continue to put these types of consistent performances together to establish himself as a long-term solution.

Outside Ekwonu—left guard Damien Lewis, center Austin Corbett, right guard Robert Hunt and right tackle Taylor Moton had positive days. Although there was some uncertainty to Corbett’s transition from guard to center, he’s looked to have settled in nicely. There has yet to be a noticeable negative play from the veteran interior lineman.

This five-man front has continued to give their quarterback a chance, which should be admired. Through two games, this could be the best position group on the entire roster.

Defense shows improvement despite being gashed (again)

Despite allowing 219 rushing yards to the Chargers, the Panthers showed improvement and discipline throughout the game—especially in coverage.

Cornernack Jaycee Horn was one of the top standouts of this defense, as he snagged his first interception of the season in the first quarter after giving up an early touchdown to wide receiver Quinten Johnston. He showcased why he can be one of the top cornerbacks in football with his performance.

Veteran linebacker and longtime Panther Shaq Thompson flew around the field today, tallying 14 tackles with physicality and explosiveness downhill. With Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown now done for the season, Thompson is proving he’s amongst the most indispensable players on this defense.

Nonetheless, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero must make more adjustments as the season goes on. The Panthers do not have the adequate personnel to defend the run like Evero wants to.

There are flashes of aggression from time to time, but it lacks far too often.

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Biggest takeaways from Panthers’ Week 1 loss to Saints

This wasn’t a day to remember for Dave Canales, Bryce Young and the rest of the Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers just put out one of the most embarrassing season debuts in recent memory—falling to New Orleans Saints in a 47-10 defeat on Sunday.

Head coach Dave Canales and company were smashed from the get-go—seeing the Saints score a long touchdown on their opening possession and their offense immediately give up the rock on theirs. What followed was a thorough beating, one that accounted for the largest season-opening victory in New Orleans franchise history.

So as we try to pick up the pieces of the heavy loss moving forward, let’s go over the three biggest takeaways from the outing . . .

Preseason repetitions matter

The Panthers got off to about as bad of a start as you could draw up, being outmuscled in every phase and finishing the first half down 30-3. Their only productive series in the first 30 minutes came close to the break, as the offense put up the first points in nearly 10 quarters of regular-season play dating back to last season.

Quite simply, it was hard to watch this team. So, it may be relevant to remember how Canales played his starters for one drive this preseason.

Preseason repetitions for starters help with continuity and execution on a down-to-down basis. This is a new-look team with a first-year head coach and plenty of additions on both sides of the ball.

There was a lack of execution, ball security and discipline. Most of this, not all, may have been avoided with more playing time in the summer.

To be fair, Canales’ decision to rest the starters the first two weeks was due to injuries to their depth. Even so, it could have been beneficial if the established talent on the team received that repetition.

Simply put, Carolina looked unprepared against the Saints and it’s more than fair to correlate this to lack of preseason snaps.

Bryce Young had a no good, very bad day

Could we have imagined a worse 2024 debut for Young?

In what may have been the most disappointing performance of his NFL career, the second-year quarterback completed just 13 of his 30 passes for 161 yards and a pair of awful interceptions. He looked overwhelmed for most of the day and was sacked four times—including three times by cornerback Alontae Taylor.

Young needed a steady Week 1 performance to instill some optimism moving forward. Instead, he was jittery with overthrown passes and misfires.

The makings of a consistent offense are there. Rookie receiver Xavier Legette looked to have added an extra element, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him overtake Jonathan Mingo in snaps for next week’s home opener. Canales’ play designs were good for the most part—but the lack of execution was glaring.

Young is a quarterback who will likely need everything to work around him to display his talents. This is not a bad outlook—as all quarterbacks, and even some of the best, have specific needs to succeed. But this is a crucial year in his evaluation as a pro, and it’s off to a terrible start.

Run defense is the biggest issue heading into Week 2

While Young will likely be the most highlighted lowlight from Sunday’s blowout loss, the biggest bust was the Panthers’ run defense.

A run unit that was supposed to look better on paper may have proven to be even worse than last season, allowing 180 yards on the ground. The line was consistently blown off the ball and driven off the line of scrimmage—which is unacceptable for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Evero is known for being a run-first coordinator. The fact that it’s his worst area thus far says a lot about the talent around Pro Bowl lineman Derrick Brown as a player, who admittedly had one of his worst games in quite some time.

In a bit of good news for the unit, the pass defense included a few gems. Cornerback Mike Jackson, who was acquired from Seattle a few weeks ago, made great tackles in space when coming downhill in coverage. Second-year edge rusher Eku Leota had three tackles for a loss, including the team’s lone sack—showing he may be the No. 2 pass rusher opposite of Jadeveon Clowney.

Yet, the Panthers must figure out how to stop the bleeding in the run game. It may come down to running more five-man defensive fronts while sacrificing some players in coverage.

It might not be solved next week. But if Evero can find a way in the coming matchups to limit the damage in the run game, it will help keep this team in weeks down the stretch.

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Studs and duds from Panthers’ Week 1 loss to Saints

Panthers QB Bryce Young delivered a big ol’ dud to kick off the 2024 season.

Every week here on the “Studs and duds” post, we set out to identify the best and worst performers from each outing for the Carolina Panthers. And yeah, it’s not been a simple task finding many studs for this team in recent years.

Unfortunately, that task did not get simpler to start the new campaign—as the Panthers ate an ugly 47-10 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Saints this afternoon.

But hey, we can try to find at least a little light to go with the darkness, right?

Here are our studs and duds from Sunday . . .

Stud: WR Xavier Legette

Let’s start out with a positive in the rookie Legette, who was solid in his opportunities. The 2024 first-rounder reeled in four receptions for 35 yards and even took back a kick for a 28-yard return.

Dud: QB Bryce Young

Young’s “comeback” campaign from a rough rookie year got off to an abysmal start. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick, who was errant on a number of his attempts throughout the day, completed just 13 of his 30 passes for 161 yards and two interceptions—including one on his very first chuck of 2024.

Dud: RB Chuba Hubbard

With a bunch of offseason talk about the Panthers wanting to ground-and-pound their opponents, the team’s No. 1 rusher seemed to be lined up for a productive day. Hubbard, however, totaled six carries for 14 yards and was not targeted through the air.

Stud: LB Shaq Thompson

We’ll get to his teammates in a bit, but Thompson did all he could to keep the Panthers from being completely run off the turf at Caesars Superdome. The 10th-year veteran notched a game-high 10 tackles, two of which went for losses.

Dud: DC Ejiro Evero

Evero’s defense was outmatched from the get-go, allowing a 59-yard touchdown pass between quarterback Derek Carr and wideout Rashid Shaheed on the opening possession of the game. They’d proceed to let the Saints score in each of their next eight (yes, eight) drives.

New Orleans’ 47-total output set a new franchise record for a season opener.

Stud: KR Raheem Blackshear

The defense’s futility made Blackshear a very, very busy man—as he had to field eight kickoff returns. So let’s give him and his 204 yards of work some recognition.

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Panthers DC Ejiro Evero thinks DT Derrick Brown can get ‘8 to 10 sacks’ this season

Panthers DC Ejiro Evero believes DT Derrick Brown is an underrated pass rusher.

The Carolina Panthers are looking for more sacks this season—and some could come from a powerful, but unlikely source.

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero spoke with reporters on Thursday morning, just hours before their penultimate practice for Week 1. And with so many questions about their lack of presence off the edge, he brought up defensive tackle Derrick Brown as a possible purveyor of the pass rush.

“Derrick is very underrated as a rusher,” Evero said. “I think if you really go back and watch the tape in the pass downs, he’s affecting the quarterback. It’s a challenge for all of us and I know he’s taking it very likely that he wants to transition those more into sacks.”

Brown is coming off one of the most productive campaigns by a defensive lineman in league history, as he amassed a new single-season record of 103 tackles at the position. The first-time Pro Bowler, per Pro Football Focus, also led all defensive lineman this past year in stops (53).

But the numbers didn’t really show up in the pass-rushing department—for both him and the rest of the Carolina defense. Brown, who has never really been a sack artist at the pro level, got to the opposing quarterback just twice while the Panthers notched a league-low 27 takedowns.

Evero, however, believes the 6-foot-5, 320-pounder has the juice to fill that column up.

“In my opinion, arguably the best run player in the NFL,” he continued about Brown. “And, like I said earlier, the pressures were there, he affects the quarterback. He’s a hard man to block—run or pass, one-on-one. But at the end of the day, we wanna translate those into more sack production. I think this guy can get eight to 10 sacks this season.”

Brown enters 2024 with 8.0 career sacks over four NFL seasons.

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