Pieces to the Puzzle: Trevin Wallace

With the 2024 NFL Draft behind us, we now have the opportunity to look forward and predict how this draft class will fit into the current regime’s plans. Obviously the coaches and scouts believe these players fit in some form or fashion into at least one of the three phases, but let’s try to look at past trends from this coaching staff and guess what type of usage we can expect from the newest Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers used their third round pick in the Draft to take former Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace. While the position was not necessarily a surprise, Wallace’s name being called instead of other linebackers like Payton Wilson did confound quite a few pundits. Wallace is the ultimate height/weight/speed prospect, which he put on display at the NFL Combine earlier this year. The reason he was a third round selection is because the mental part of his game is not on the same level as the physical part. Wallace often struggled with misdirection, and his instincts are not very polished. In Ejiro Evero’s short time as a defensive coordinator, he has not used a linebacker with this profile very much. Wallace is a bit of a tweener for the body types that Evero prefers at the different linebacker positions.

Because Evero runs a base 3-4 defense, there are often two inside linebackers and two outside linebackers on the field at the same time. The outside linebackers usually specialize in rushing the passer and short zone coverage. The inside linebackers are more like your traditional linebackers who do a little bit of everything, including getting the defense lined up properly. The inside linebackers who have had success under Evero have often been a similar size to Wallace, but much more instinctual than athletic. New Panthers linebacker Josey Jewell, for example, has a very similar build in terms of height and weight but is nowhere near the athlete Wallace is. Frankie Luvu is another inside linebacker whose instincts allowed him to play fast more than him literally playing fast. Outside linebackers that have had success, like Bradley Chubb, are often much bigger than Wallace.

This makes Trevin Wallace difficult to pinpoint in terms of a role on defense. While I have no doubt that he’ll be on the short list for plenty of special teams snaps, his defensive snaps might be quite limited. Wallace is too small right now to play a true outside linebacker in Evero’s scheme, and he’s not instinctual enough to garner snaps at inside linebacker. He also struggled mightily in pass coverage, which is much more complex at the inside spot compared to the simpler drops the outside linebackers do. If he can improve his consistency in run fits and pass coverage, he definitely has the blitzing ability to be a difference maker on defense.

The team’s website has Wallace officially listed as an inside linebacker, so the hope apparently is that he can be coached up on the more mental aspects of playing linebacker. As of right now, Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell are penciled in to start inside. After that, the depth chart is anyone’s guess. Fellow rookie Michael Barrett might be better equipped to play right out of the gate, so Wallace might be pretty far down on the depth chart. Keep in mind, Evero rotates his defensive line quite a bit but never rotates his inside linebackers. In Denver in 2022, only three inside linebackers saw the majority of defensive snaps (in part because Josey Jewell missed four games). Last season, even dealing with a plethora of injuries at the position, only four players manned the middle of the defense. That includes Shaq Thompson, who only played in two games.

Because of Wallace’s unique athletic profile and inconsistency combined with Evero’s reliance on just a few players to fill the inside linebacker position leads me to believe Wallace’s impact will mostly be felt on special teams in his rookie year. Obviously, injuries can change plans in an instant, but it would again depend on if Evero trusts Wallace over other depth linebackers on the roster. I would guess Wallace sees the field a lot on special teams due to his athleticism, especially considering the new kickoff rules. If he does see the field on defense, expect to see him blitz and attack the line of scrimmage (think early season Frankie Luvu, before Shaq got hurt). I don’t expect much production, probably around 20 total tackles.

How do you think Wallace will be used this season? What kind of stats do you think he’ll put up? Sound off in the comments!