PFF's 2026 Breakout Panthers Player is Excellent News for Bryce Young

After a promising rookie season as an undrafted free agent, expectations were pretty high for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker.

Unfortunately, he had to battle a quad injury early in the year, which kept him out until the middle of October. Once he returned, he made an impact in the passing game and closed the season with a bang, pulling down 12 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown in the wild-card game against the Los Angeles Rams.

That performance, in addition to a solid final two months of the regular season were enough for Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus to believe he will be the Panthers' breakout player in 2026.

"Coker missed the first six games of the 2025 season due to injury and took a while to find his rhythm as he recovered. He became a key piece for Carolina’s offense during the stretch run, and his production crescendoed with a 134-yard outing in the team’s playoff loss to the Rams," Wasserman wrote. "Those efforts resulted in Coker earning a 75.3 PFF receiving grade this season, which would be incredibly useful if he can play all 17 games in 2026."

Through his first two seasons in the league, Coker has combined for 65 receptions for 872 yards and five touchdowns. His contract has expired, but the Panthers do hold his exclusive rights, meaning if he is tendered, he will not be permitted to negotiate with other teams.

During exit meetings, Panthers GM Dan Morgan spoke of his 2025 season and his future with the organization.

#Panthers general manager Dan Morgan on Jalen Coker: pic.twitter.com/8dvNwVkZmN
— Alex Zietlow (@alexzietlow05) January 13, 2026

“Another guy that has been through adversity with injuries and has overcome it. Credit to him. He put the work in, and he got his body right. Reshaped his body. He looks like a different player, and it shows on the field. It goes back to the work, and if you put the work in during the offseason and the work during the season, it’s going to show on the field — Jalen is a prime example of that. He’s a resilient guy and played great. In terms of the contract and stuff, that’s stuff me and Brandt (Tilis) are talking through and timing on when to extend him and give him a deal, that’s all stuff we’re going to talk about.”

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