Report: Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero to have a second interview with the Indianapolis Colts

According to NFL Network’s NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will have a second interview with the Indianapolis Colts. Earlier today, we learned that the Houston Texans would also be interviewing Evero for a second time as well.

As Pelissero notes, Evero has impressed during interviews and has earned himself now multiple second interviews during this cycle. He interviewed with all five teams with openings, including the Broncos, and now has a second interview with two of the teams.

As we know, Evero was brought in by now former and recently fired Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett last year to serve as the defensive coordinator. He was a defensive backs coach for the Rams and would be a first-time defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos. He was replacing a pretty damn good defensive mind in Vic Fangio who was let go by the Broncos last year as well, and Evero did not miss a beat.

Despite his inexperience, a league-worst offense, inept coaching around him, and non-stop injuries to key members of the team, Evero was the mastermind behind a damn good Broncos defense. They did tail off at the end of the year but injuries and poor offensive play likely played a factor in that. They were looking like an elite unit in the first half of the year. What he did in the second half of the year with practice squad players and additions from off the roster was fairly impressive. Broncos players also love the guy and pushed for him to be a head coach next season as well.

As we now know, because Evero has only been with the Broncos for one year, he is not eligible for the Rooney Rule compensation. That rule states any minority candidate hired to be a Head Coach or General Manager, the team that person is coming from would receive two third-round compensatory picks (a third-rounder in each of the two upcoming drafts). However, that rule states that the coach or executive has to be with the team for at least two years to be eligible for this compensation.

The Colts fired Frank Reich during the season and went with interim head coach Jeff Saturday to finish out the season. Saturday still is a strong candidate for the job because he has the ownership’s backing, but Colts general manager Chris Ballard appears to be impressed by Evero.

As for the Broncos, it is getting increasingly likely that they may lose their defensive coordinator during this hiring cycle. With the Broncos' coaching search also in flux, it will be interesting to see if Evero sticks if the Broncos hire a defensive-minded coach like Dan Quinn or DeMeco Ryans.