4 bold Carolina Panthers predictions in Week 6 vs. the Atlanta Falcons
By Luke Gray
Jalen Coker leads the Carolina Panthers in receiving yards
One positive to come from the Carolina Panthers' Week 5 drubbing at the Chicago Bears was the performance of rookie wide receiver Jalen Coker, who led the team in receiving yards. While a lot of his work came in garbage time, it was excellent to see the undrafted free agent perform after much fanfare following his signing this offseason after a stellar college career at Holy Cross.
With many questions surrounding the Panthers' wideout room, it wouldn't be a big shock to see Coker leading the team in receiving yards once again this week against the Atlanta Falcons. Diontae Johnson is nursing an ankle injury. Jonathan Mingo continually fails to impress. Rookie first-rounder Xavier Legette comes into the contest with a shoulder injury. An opportunity may arise for the first-year pro to impress again.
It was a surprise to many that Coker even made it out of the draft. He was touted as a sixth or seventh-round pick after putting up substantial numbers at the collegiate level. Former Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith Sr hailed the hopeful as “the best route runner in the class”. However, the subpar competition he faced in college and his 4.57-second time in the 40-yard dash saw him dismissed entirely during the selection process.
The $200,000 in guaranteed money allocated by the Panthers to sign the gifted pass-catcher signified just how eager the Panthers were to secure his services. With Atlanta’s top cornerback A.J. Terrell likely shadowing Johnson, this may give Coker the chance to thrive.
The Falcons defense has been suspect through the first five games of the season. This is something Coker might be able to take advantage of as a surprise Atlanta doesn't see coming. The Panthers would have no option other than to make him an offensive focal point over the second half of 2024 in this scenario.