4 defensive coordinators Packers wrongly left on the table to hire Jeff Hafley

1. Ejiro Evero, Panthers DC

If the Green Bay Packers wanted to make a huge splash, they would have hired Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.

Evero entered the fray as a potential head coach in the future shortly after winning a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams as a safeties coach, secondary coach, and passing game coordinator from 2017 until 2021. After winning Super Bowl 56, Evero accepted the Denver Broncos' defensive coordinator position.

While the Broncos were an abject disaster in 2022, the defense was easily the best part of the team. Even with the team finishing 5-12 on the year, the Broncos' defense allowed 320.0 yards (seventh-best in the NFL) and 21.1 points (tied-13th best) per game. Evero's stint would last just one season and would make the jump to the Panthers in the same role.

This past season, the Panthers' defense allowed 293.9 yards of offense (fourth-fewest) and 24.5 points (fifth-most) per game.

Hiring Evero would have been tricky. That's because the Panthers have been blocking teams from interviewing Evero for their defensive coordinator openings, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Miami Dolphins. Even so, The Athletic's Joseph Person reported on Tuesday that Evero "is more interested in pursuing defensive coordinator positions elsewhere than returning to the Panthers." The Panthers recently hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales as their new head coach.

Oh, and there was the tidbit from The MMQB's Albert Breer this past Sunday that the Packers had Evero "at or near the top" of their list for defensive coordinator candidates. Maybe the Packers could have waited things out a bit and eventually had a chance at landing Evero.