Jalen Coker was an undrafted steal for the Panthers
Jalen Coker is the undrafted free agent adding life to the Panthers’ passing game.
During the 2024 NFL Draft process, a prospect I was really intrigued by was current Carolina Panthers’ wideout Jalen Coker. His strong hands and explosive leaping ability (98th percentile vertical jump and 86th percentile broad jump at the NFL Combine) matched his tape at Holy Cross, and was indicative of a player who could be a legitimate NFL pass catcher.
Since Week 5, Coker has played on over 50% of the snaps for the Panthers’ offense, and hasn’t disappointed. Coker is second on the team in receptions since Week five, first in Yards per Route Run and a pristine 0.7 EPA per target. Seems pretty good for a UDFA from Holy Cross! The things that stood out to me watching Coker in college were his ability to track the ball and adjust when the ball is in the air, and in Carolina it’s come together really well. He had his best game of the season against Denver, leading the Panthers in receiving yards and catching a touchdown, while adding some really fun moments in between.
Coker’s ball tracking on deep routes is such a cool element to this offense that the Panthers are missing. While WR Xavier Legette is more of an in between player, Coker can win downfield and with his ball tracking skills he can win in this role early. The Panthers motion a receiver inside of Coker, and when the ball is snapped he runs a double move. There’s not a lot of separation on this route, but a great throw by Young is accompanied by a fantastic over the shoulder catch by Coker for a big play. This is something the Panthers can work with!
This play gets called back for holding, but it’s a good depiction of what Coker can bring to an offense. He can make these difficult catches look easy with longer arms and great concentration and focus on these passes. He also gains ground really quickly on this route, which is a little intriguing to me.
His touchdown on Sunday was a great example of what he can bring to the Panthers’ offense. Coker is running a fade route in the red zone, and Young puts this a little behind him. Coker is able to adjust to this ball and make this tight window throw look like an easy catch for him. I really like Coker’s game, man. This kid can play some ball.
With Diontae Johnson being traded to Baltimore, this is a good time for Coker to get more reps. I’m excited to see his growth with more reps and targets thrown his way, and the Panthers’ next game against the Saints is a good chance to see what Coker can do.