Essentially the most promising second-year broad receiver on the Carolina Panthers‘ roster could not even be the one they took within the first spherical of the 2024 NFL draft. Heck, this man did not even get drafted.
Professional Soccer Focus analyst Jonathon Macri just lately named essentially the most underrated participant for every group heading into the 2025 season. He tabs Jalen Coker for the Panthers, who would possibly’ve discovered themselves fairly a gem proper after final 12 months’s choice course of.
Macri writes:
The Panthers spent a first-round decide on broad receiver Xavier Legette final offseason and solely scooped up Coker as an undrafted free agent. The expectation for Legette to be the best receiver wasn’t unreasonable, although Coker constantly seemed like the higher possibility in 2024. He ranked fourth amongst qualifying rookie broad receivers in yards per route run (1.72) on the 12 months.
Coker completed with a 73.8 PFF receiving grade, which was additionally a top-five mark amongst rookie receivers. He delivered 478 receiving yards on simply 45 targets — simply over half as many targets as Legette, who completed with a 59.4 PFF receiving grade and 497 yards.
Coker additionally averaged a team-leading 14.9 yards per reception as a rookie—beating out the likes of Legette (10.1), Adam Thielen (12.8) and, on a extra non permanent foundation, Diontae Johnson (11.9)
Between Carolina’s newest first-round selection in fellow receiver Tetairoa McMillan, their hopes of enchancment for Legette and Thielen’s distinguished position within the passing recreation, Coker could not even hit those self same numbers as a sophomore. But when he is nearly as good as many consider, then the Panthers may have themselves fairly the depth on the wideout place.
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