The Future is Bright for One Key Panthers WR, Insider Claims

The Carolina Panthers are an emerging football team, led by a young group of wide receivers. A former undrafted free agent began to come into his own in 2025.

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (18) celebrates his score with fans during the second half of the NFC Wild Card Round game between the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Less than a week from now, Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is expected to be named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Expectation doesn’t mean certainty, but he’s coming off a season in which he totaled 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven TDs.

Speaking of wideouts, recent work by Nic Bodiford of Pro Football Focus saw him take a look a five players that just completed their second NFL season (with the exception of Seattle Seahawks’ tight end AJ Barner. There was a complete breakdown of Carolina’s Jalen Coker, and the reviews were positive.

“Coker, was sidelined in Weeks 1-6 after suffering a “significant quad strain” in running a deep route in one-on-one drills late in August 2025. His 75.4 PFF offense grade ranks seventh among 29 second-year NFL quarterbacks and skill position players with at least 400 offensive snaps in 2025.”

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (18) makes a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

“He spent Weeks 7-12 continuing his ramp-up process in-game before,” added Bodiford, “finishing as the half-points-per-reception (half-PPR) overall WR14 in Week 13. He closed the season by posting career highs in targets (11), receptions (9) and receiving yards (134) while tying his single-game career-high touchdown sum (one) during Carolina’s Wild-Card Weekend loss. Coker earned a 73.8 PFF receiving grade in 2024 and a 75.3 PFF receiving grade in 2025. His consistently effective play bodes positively for his 2026 outlook.”

In 11 regular-season outings, the former undrafted free agent finished fourth on the team with 33 receptions. However, he was second on the club with 394 yards, and tied for second on Dave Canales’s club with three touchdown grabs. Coker snared nine passes for 134 yards and a score in the 34-31 home loss to the Rams in the wild card round.

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) celebrates with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (18) after a play during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The 24-year-old product of Holy Cross will see his contract expire in March. However, he would become an exclusive rights free agent, meaning the Panthers have first dibs at re-signing him. While 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette continues to be an early disappointment, the thought of a Coker/McMillan wide receiving tandem—hopefully for an entire season—may sound pretty good for quarterback Bryce Young and Canales’s team in general.

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