The Carolina Panthers could make a major move at wide receiver this offseason.
The Carolina Panthers have used first-round draft picks on wide receivers each of the last two years, bagging Xavier Legette and Jalen McMillan, respectively.
Of the two, McMillan has been the only one to work out thus far, as he just won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award after hauling in 70 receptions for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns.
Legette? Not so much. The University of South Carolina product has struggled mightily over his first couple of NFL seasons and has actually been supplanted by a former undrafted receiver in terms of primacy.
That receiver is Jalen Coker.
Coker caught 32 passes for 478 yards and a pair of scores during his rookie campaign in 2024 and followed that up by snaring 33 balls for 394 yards while reaching the end zone three times in 2025.
Here's the catch: Coker played in just 11 games in both 2024 and 2025. He began his rookie year on the practice squad, and this past season, he missed some time due to a quadriceps injury. So if he gets a full 17-game campaign, he would surely be considerably more productive.
Carolina Panthers receiver Jalen Coker. Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images.Coker is an exclusive-rights free agent, so chances are, he will be back with the Panthers in 2026. But ESPN's Dan Graziano has reported that Carolina make take things a step further with the 24-year-old, reporting that Coker "could receive a contract extension" this offseason.
It would be wise for the Panthers to lock Coker up now before his price continues to increase, and it seems pretty clear that the Holy Cross alum is going to be a significant part of their receiving corps.
Coker was quite a force in college, with his best season coming in 2023 when he registered 59 grabs for 1,035 yards and 15 touchdowns. That was good for an average of 17.5 yards per catch, and he logged 16.5 yards per grab throughout his NCAA tenure.
The 6-foot-3, 213-pounder can play both in the slot and on the outside, making him an incredibly versatile weapon.
Continuity is very important in the development of quarterback Bryce Young, so keeping Coker long term would be ideal for Carolina.
We'll see if the Panthers ultimately extend Coker in the coming months.
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