Analysts give Carolina Panthers attainable objective with rookie wide receiver

Jalen Coker's emergence from undrafted free agent afterthought to valuable contributor is one of the Carolina Panthers' brightest stories of the season. His rise from proverbial obscurity is something that can benefit the franchise following the bye week and way into the future.

Coker made the initial 53-man roster but was cut when general manager Dan Morgan blitzed the waiver wire. As luck would have it, everyone else's rosters were set and the Panthers brought him back onto the practice squad.

When Coker's chance came, he seized it with both hands. The former Holy Cross standout displayed shrewd route-running and reliable hands to make his presence felt immediately. This is more impressive when one considers the quarterback flip-flopping between Andy Dalton and Bryce Young throughout his time on the rotation.

He's brought in 65.4 percent of his targets for 263 receiving yards and one touchdown so far. Carolina's youth movement on offense represents a solid platform from which to build. If Young can continue his improved production under center and gradually earn the trust of head coach Dave Canales, the Panthers might be onto something.

Carolina Panthers must get Jalen Coker more involved after the bye week

Matt Holder and Kris Knox from The Bleacher Report provided the Panthers with one primary objective to figure out during the bye week. This centered on getting Coker more involved to see if he could emerge into a core foundational piece of the team's plans.

"In fairness to the Panthers, this is likely already in the works after the Jonathan Mingo trade. But [Jalen] Coker didn't start getting significant playing time until Week 5 and he's been pretty productive since then, logging 14 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown heading into this weekend. The undrafted rookie could be the offense's long-term solution at slot receiver, so the team's goal should be to get him as many opportunities as possible to asses how big of a need wide receiver will be in the offseason."

- Matt Holder and Kris Knox, BR

There should be ample opportunities for Coker to firmly establish himself. The Panthers traded Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo before the deadline. This left Carolina threadbare of reliable options in the passing game, although the pending return from injury of Adam Thielen represents a boost that should make life easier for everybody.

Thielen is a short-term fix. Players like Coker represent the future.

Giving them all they can handle over the next seven games will be a good indicator of their aspirations in 2025 and beyond. This should also provide Morgan with more useful information to call upon as part of his ongoing assessments.

There's also the small matter of Coker's contract situation to factor into the equation. The rookie has one more year remaining on his deal and counts just $960,000 against the salary cap. If he shows enough and those in power have no doubt about his prospects, one couldn't dismiss the possibility of an extension at some stage during the offseason to avoid complications down the line.

Coker is a genuine feel-good story. The Panthers haven't had many of them in recent years. Hopefully, this will be the start of a long career in Carolina rather than just another flash in the pan.

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