Dec 23, 2018; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams safeties coach Ejiro Evero against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Former Rams Assistant Commands Horrific Defense

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Brock Vierra | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 8:48 PM ET

It feels like a fever dream that Ejiro Evero coordinated the NFL's number one defense, but that's exactly what he did for the Denver Broncos during the disastrous tenure of Nathaniel Hackett. That was until Sean McVay, Baker Mayfield, and the Rams decided to drop 51 points on a beaten-down roster, fed up with Hackett's issues.

The obliterated Broncos decided to fire Hackett after their Chrismas day defeat, a defeat that ended the Broncos' standing as the NFL's best defense and after Sean Payton hired Vance Joseph to be his defensive coordinator, Evero went to Carolina.

In 2023, dejavu occured except Carolina did not have the NFL's number one defense when they also fired first year head coach Frank Reich during the season. Evero was retained by new head coach Dave Canales but after a season of ultimate lows and unpredictable highs, Evero looks to rediscover his once dominant defense.

However, Pro Football Network's Jacob Infante ranked Evero as the 29th best defensive coordinator in the NFL, making it seem that the high-powered offenses in the NFC South will ravenge the Panthers in 2025.

"It’s tough to rank Ejiro Evero this low, seeing as though he’s interviewed for several head coaching jobs in recent years," wrote Infante. "He might end up bouncing back now that the Carolina Panthers invested heavily in the defensive line, but that remains to be seen."

"Under Evero, the Panthers allowed the most points in the NFL in 2024. Since he took over as defensive coordinator in 2023, they’ve placed inside the bottom five in Defense+ in both seasons. He remains more of a case of untapped potential rather than actual substance until his defenses perform better with him as the defensive coordinator."

I'm not too sure about Infante's evaluation. I can say for a fact Evero is at the very least a top 15 defensive coordinator, excelling when given weapons. Evero is rebuilding the once-feared Panthers defense with players he won Super Bowl LVI with, including Bobby Brown III, A'Shawn Robinson, Christian Rozeboom, and Nick Scott.

The Panthers also added promising rookies Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen to help Derrick Brown penetrate the backfield with more efficiency.

With Jaycee Horn in the secondary, there is a belief Tre'von Moehrig may find a new form.

All I can say is that keep an eye on Carolina. They're a legitimate sleeper team that is breaking through at the right time.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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