The Carolina Panthers may have stumbled into a defensive personnel advantage that could allow Ejiro Evero to get creative with his packages in 2026.
With Tre'von Moehrig, Nick Scott, Lathan Ransom and rookie Zakee Wheatley at safety, plus cornerback Jaycee Horn spending time in the slot, Carolina has enough versatility in the secondary to consider playing significantly more nickel, big nickel and dime.
That could be especially appealing when the alternative is putting a second traditional linebacker on the field.
Carolina Panthers can solve their LB2 problem a little more creatively
Devin Lloyd is obviously going to be a major part of this defense after Carolina signed the second-team All-Pro in free agency. The more interesting question is what the Panthers do next to him.
Trevin Wallace is expected to get the first opportunity alongside Lloyd, while Claudin Cherelus remains experienced depth. But neither is inspiring much confidence right now.
Carolina's own preseason positional preview acknowledged that Wallace has been up and down during his first two seasons, although the team believes Lloyd could help bring out his best in the 2024 third-round pick.
There is another option. Evero could simply put another defensive back on the field.
The Panthers have already seen how much his versatility can change the defense. Evero previously called Moehrig a "very, very, very unique chess piece" because he can play safety, linebacker, nickel and even outside linebacker in certain packages.
Ransom gives Evero another physical option. The Panthers described him as a starter-caliber safety after he started six games last season, and the team already used him in certain packages.
Then there is Wheatley, who played all over the secondary during his time in college at Penn State. He might be a rookie, but the athletic traits and physical approach have already left a positive impression this summer.
Carolina Panthers must maximize the strengths of their defensive backfield to thrive
The Panthers have also been experimenting with Chau Smith-Wade at safety over the offseason. Whether they move forward with it is debatable, but it's another intriguing wrinkle to factor in.
Head coach Dave Canales said Smith-Wade can play nickel, safety, and outside corner, giving Carolina another interchangeable piece to move around the formation.
That is a lot of flexibility for one secondary. And it gets even more interesting with Horn.
Carolina has moved Horn into the slot more frequently during training camp, something the Panthers believe can unlock another part of his game. The team has described the move as a way to open up the defense and allow other defensive backs to take advantage of the space created by the two-time Pro Bowler moving inside.
He won't be there all the time, but it's a nice option to have.
Suddenly, Carolina has a path toward getting more talented defensive backs onto the field at the same time.
If Moehrig, Ransom, Wheatley, Scott, Smith-Wade and Horn continue showing the versatility Carolina expects, the Panthers could have the ingredients for one of the more interesting secondary-based defensive packages in the NFL.
And that could give Evero much more freedom to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable.
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