The Carolina Panthers are going to look a lot different in 2023 than they have in recent years. Not only is the personnel changing like every year, Frank Reich is taking over as the head coach and a lot of the schemes are being adjusted.
The biggest one is going to come on the defensive side of the ball. Sought-after defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will be joining Reich’s staff, which will lead to major changes. After years of being a 4-3 base defense, the Panthers will be a 3-4 defense under Evero.
That changes the assignments and responsibilities of edge rushers on the team, who will no longer be playing defensive end. Instead, they will be playing outside linebacker, where elements such as dropping into coverage come into play.
It will take some adjusting to, but Yetur Gross-Matos is one player excited about the change. He is looking to secure the starting spot opposite of Brian Burns once again, this time as an outside linebacker.
“My initial reaction was a breath of fresh air,” Gross-Matos recently told the team’s official website. “I’m excited about it; I know they’re excited about it. We can talk about it all day because it’s new for all of us. So (we) just try and learn as much as we can from each other’s mistakes and what we do well.”
Gross-Matos was a second-round pick out of Penn State in the 2020 NFL Draft. While his counting stats aren’t robust, he has shown some flashes that led to him being selected so high, recording 8.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits in three seasons.
But, he believes that big things are on the horizon because of the position change. Despite having very limited experience in coverage, it isn’t something that he is too worried about. He knows that he has the athleticism to make the change and is ready to showcase it on a more consistent basis.
“Before, I was playing D-line, but I was really taking on a lot of double-teams and just in the trenches,” Gross-Matos said. “Now, I’m really able to use my athleticism more, running more, covering. We outside linebackers consider ourselves the alphas of the defense because we can do it all — rush the quarterback, cover guys, look at formations. So it’s a bigger responsibility. But, you know, I’m all about it. And it’s been fun.”
While all eyes are on Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the offense, the Panther defense will be looking to make a name for themselves as well. With a star in Burns opposite him, Gross-Matos has a chance to really break out in Year 4, which is the final season of his rookie contract.
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