The Carolina Panthers have been slowly rebuilding the franchise over the last year under the guidance of Dave Canales and Dan Morgan. Building around quarterback Bryce Young has been deemed most important, and they've emphasized adding several pass-catching options this offseason.
They are now equipped with veterans like Adam Thielen and Hunter Renfrow in the slot, as well as promising young players on the outside like Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and Jimmy Horn Jr. This means Young and the offense have no excuse not to produce in 2025.
This will require players to leap from the previous season and establish more of a rapport with Young. While McMillan and Legette, both first-round picks by the current regime, are the obvious two who need to step up, there is another receiver who continues to emerge from the pack.
Carolina Panthers turn up the heat on Xavier Legette with Jalen Coker praise
Coker was arguably just as pivotal to the Panthers' offense in 2024 as Legette was, and the second-year Holy Cross product is already off to a hot start this season. Canales told reporters that the best players will play, and the undrafted free agent's catching consistency is standing out.
"We're gonna play the best guys. The guys that we can count on, the guys that make plays, the guys that make the catch. Jalen has really showed to be one of the more reliable guys that we have. Whether it's contested or he's open in space, he plays strong to the ball. ... He keeps showing us like that, he's gonna be on the field playing, there's no doubt about it."Dave Canales
Canales was asked if WR Jalen Coker is on the bubble.
— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) August 11, 2025
“We’re gonna play the best guys.” Adds that if he keeps showing up the way he has, he’s going to be on the field playing. #Panthers pic.twitter.com/mVtl3oAU27
Coker is currently listed as a second-stringer on the depth chart behind Legette, but these comments feel like an indication that he could soon supplant him in the starting lineup. While the South Carolina product got ejected for fighting in the first preseason game, his teammate caught four passes for 68 receiving yards.
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Canales is in a bit of a predicament. It would feel harsh to demote a former first-rounder to second-string after just one season. However, Coker has been the more reliable player, which the head coach has preached as the most important thing.
Legette is not devoid of talent, but he has failed to live up to expectations so far. While he was busy figuring things out at the professional level, Coker essentially passed him up.
No change to the starting lineup is imminent, but Canales' recent comments paint a picture of a coach who is fed up with a lack of production from his wide receiver room. If Coker is the better player, he'll play, and that could leave Legette in more of a rotational role.
If this scenario comes to fruition, nobody could say he was not warned.