Aug 22, 2020; Inglewood California, USA; Los Angeles Rams safety coach Ejiro Evero during a scrimmage at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Rams Lead Defensive Renaissance For Carolina Panthers

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Brock Vierra | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Los Angeles Rams have been coached by Sean McVay for nearly a decade at this point and as a result, his coaching tree has branches that expand all across the NFL. In Carolina, while all the attention is on the promise of their offense, especially after Bryce Young's resurgent second half to his second season, it may be the defense that takes them back to the playoffs.

Led by former Rams assistant and current Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, the Panthers' offseason performance has CBS Sports' Josh Edwards stating that Carolina had the sixth-best offseason in the NFL.

"Carolina had a significant sum of money to spend and several holes to fill on defense. Veterans Bobby Brown III, Tershawn Wharton and Patrick Jones II level out the floor of that unit," wrote Edwards. "The Panthers allowed 179.8 rushing yards per game last season; the distance between the Panthers and the No. 31 team in the statistic was similar to the gap between the No. 31 team and the No. 9 team. They added power and quick twitch capabilities to the pass rush with Princely Umanmielen and Nic Scourton."

"Additionally, Young will have stability for the first time in his young career, as head coach Dave Canales and all 11 starters return. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was selected in the first-round."

The Rams attempted to trade up during the 2025 NFL Draft for McMillan before Carolina selected him.

On Evero's defense sits former Rams Bobby Brown III, A'Shawn
Robinson, Christian Rozeboom, and Nick Scott, with all four players expected to either start or play significant roles for the Panthers this season.

Recently Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron spoke about the Panthers' new rookie edge players, Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen.

"The Panthers’ 2024 defense was a major weakness, as the unit finished the season with a 44.9 PFF grade , the lowest in the NFL by a wide margin," wrote Cameron. After a heavy offseason investment in the defensive line, several starting roles are up for grabs, with the edge rusher spot shaping up to be the most intriguing competition."

"The Panthers’ 24.4% pressure rate in 2024 ranked last in the NFL, prompting them to sign Pat Jones II and draft a pair of promising Day 2 prospects in Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen. While Jones figures to play a meaningful role, the spotlight will be on the rookies, who flashed high-end potential in college."

With the foundation of the Rams' defensive ideology, an ideology based on Wade Phillips' 50+ years of coaching and an injection of talented youth, the Panthers may have their best defense since 2015.

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

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