Changes have arrived for the Carolina Panthers in the middle of a critical juncture for the franchise.
Head coach Dave Canales relieved defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero of his duties and named defensive line coach Todd Wash as the interim replacement. This change will likely spark a new approach to defensive philosophy that resembles the Jim Schwartz system.
This could help several key players on the Panthers' defense down the stretch, even in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos. Here are five players who could greatly benefit from the team's defensive staff changes.
Carolina Panthers players who could benefit from defense's philsophical changes
Princely Umanmielen, OLB
Early on, we're likely to see some immediate changes to how the defensive front plays, especially from the pass rushers. Under Wash, we should expect more upfield pass-rush attacks and move sets that showcase aggression to get upfield and at the quarterback.
This is music to second-year pass rusher Princely Umanmielen, who thrives as a pure late-down specialist who can attack offensive tackles with speed, quickness, and bend to reduce surface area and get in the quarterback's face.
Umanmielen has had an up-and-down season with clear improvements, but this style of play should allow him to flash more as a pass rusher.
Zakee Wheatley, S
One of the best late-round selections the Panthers have made in recent years is fifth-round choice Zakee Wheatley, one of my favorite prospects from the 2026 NFL Draft.
Wheatley is a smart, rangy defender who is a reliable tackler in space and thrives in single-high coverage where he can roam the deep third of the field. He has arguably been the Panthers' best rookie and is already carving out a significant role.
I expect Wheatley not only to receive more snaps this week and onward, but to be the new starting free safety over Nick Scott as the Panthers continue to make personnel changes on both sides of the ball. His skill set fits the single-high usage of a Schwartz system, especially in Cover 1 and Cover 3.
Derrick Brown, DL
The Panthers' star defensive lineman had his best game of the season against the Green Bay Packers, and it could be just the start for the veteran who hasn't been as productive as many expected. That could change under Wash.
As Wash transitions his front into a single-gap attacking group, this should benefit Derrick Brown well, allowing him to play in multiple alignments while being a vicious gap shooter who can penetrate the backfield at will.
We've seen Brown flash in one-gap systems in the past. Returning to this appraoch could bring on a productive stretch for No. 95.
Jaycee Horn, CB
While Jaycee Horn is still on injured reserve, he'll soon return to a defense that may be nothing like the one he left behind in Week 3.
Fans have been clamoring for Horn to be used as a traveling defensive back against an opponent's top wide receiver. When the schedule gets tougher, Horn should be back for that stretch. Under Wash, we could be in line for higher rates of man coverage — though the zone rate will remain fairly high.
This means more chances to be physical in the contract window, press opportunities, and much more.
Tershawn Wharton, DL
I always felt that Tershawn Wharton has been misused when healthy. He isn't a good fit to play a two-gap scheme that adds more responsibility to his plate and doesn't allow him to attack the quarterback, as he did with the Kansas City Chiefs.
With Wash, I would look for Wharton to be more of a rotational defender, adding some value as a run defender in the single-gap scheme up front, while being a more frequent pass rusher on later downs as a 3-tech or 4i alignment. This will allow him to use speed-to-power and quickness to overwhelm opposing guards.
Add us as a preferred source on Google