Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-17 · by Steve Reed The Associated Press
Jalen Coker, an undrafted rookie wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, is outperforming first-round draft pick Xavier Legette. In recent games, Coker has made significant contributions, including eight catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears. Panthers coach Dave Canales highlights Coker’s ability to make critical plays when given opportunities, drawing a comparison to undrafted players who helped the Seattle Seahawks reach the Super Bowl in 2014. The team rewarded Coker's performance with a three-year, $35 million contract extension.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Wide receiver Jalen Coker, an undrafted rookie in 2024, is thriving with the Carolina Panthers.
asserted
Coker → thrive → Panthers
The same can’t be said for the team’s first-round draft pick that year, Xavier Legette.
asserted
same → say → pick
Legette finds himself firmly behind Coker on the depth chart — and the gap only seems to be widening.
asserted
gap → find → chart
Coker, who took over Carolina’s No. 2 wide receiver spot opposite Tetairoa McMillan late last season, turned in an eye-catching performance to open the season with eight catches for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns last weekend against the Bears.
asserted
who → take → Bears
That came after he hauled in nine passes for 134 yards and a touchdown in last year’s wild-card playoff game against the Rams.
asserted
he → come → Rams
“The NFL has no respect for rounds,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said of the NFL draft.
asserted
Canales → have → draft
Coker has made plays when he’s had opportunities
Canales points to the 2014 Seattle Seahawks, a team he worked for as an assistant coach.
asserted
he → make → coach
The Seahawks reached the Super Bowl with mostly undrafted wide receivers on their roster.
asserted
Seahawks → reach → roster
“They were tough guys who cared, and were intentional about their work.
asserted
who → care → work
They made plays when the plays came to them,” Canales said.
asserted
Canales → make → them
“And it’s as simple as that. ...
asserted
it → ’ → that
For all of these guys on our team, when the quarterback gives you an opportunity, make the play.
asserted
quarterback → give → play
He will come back to you again.”
asserted
He → come → you
Bryce Young has learned he can trust Coker to catch the ball, and he keeps going to back to him.
asserted
he → learn → him
Over the last 12 games, Young has thrown 62 balls to Coker and he’s caught 81% of them.
asserted
he → throw → them
Coker first turned heads in Carolina in a 2024 against Denver, when he made a difficult leaping catch along the sideline just weeks after being promoted from the practice squad.
asserted
he → turn → squad
“At that time, he still didn’t have a full grasp for what our system was,” Canales said.
asserted
Canales → have → grasp
“All he knew was he had a one-on-one opportunity, go get the ball.
asserted
he → know → ball
Jalen has got that type of gamesmanship.
asserted
Jalen → get → gamesmanship
If you talk to him, he’s the nicest kid in the world.
asserted
he → talk → world
When he gets between the lines, it’s a different animal.”
asserted
it → get → lines
Lightly recruited, Coker wound up at Holy Cross
Part of that mentality comes from his desire to prove to the league that he belongs.
asserted
he → recruit → league
Coker wasn’t highly recruited out of high school — he had average speed — and wound up at Holy Cross.
asserted
he → recruit → Cross
He put up big numbers his first two seasons and had some opportunities to transfer and play for bigger schools.
asserted
He → put → schools
But he kept a promise to his mother and stayed in Worcester, Massachusetts.
asserted
he → keep → Worcester
“I just remember my mom told me, ‘If you commit here, you’re committing to go here for all four years — no transferring, none of that stuff,’” Coker said.
asserted
Coker → remember → stuff
“So I said, ‘OK, I made a commitment.
asserted
I → say → commitment
I’m sticking to it.’
asserted
I → stick → it
After promising season, Panthers reward Coker with extension
Coker missed the first third of the 2025 season with a quad injury, and slowly saw more playing time as the season went on.
asserted
season → reward → time
He finished the regular season with 33 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns.
asserted
He → finish → yards
That, along with the big performance in the playoff game, persuaded the Panthers to give him a three-year, $35 million contract extension this offseason — a deal that could end up being a huge bargain for the Panthers if continues to produce like he has the last two games.
uncertain
he → persuade → Panthers
The rest of the league seems to be taking notice of No. 18.
asserted
rest → seem → .
Coker practiced on a limited basis Wednesday with a sore ankle, but is expected to play Sunday at Atlanta.
asserted
Coker → practice → Atlanta
Falcons cornerback Jessie Bates III knows Atlanta can’t focus all of its attention on McMillan, last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
asserted
Atlanta → know → Year
Coker can beat them, too.
asserted
Coker → beat → them
“I think he’s just someone that Bryce has created some chemistry with and someone that he really trusts,” Bates said.
asserted
Bates → think → that
“He can give him a chance, 50-50 balls.
asserted
He → give → balls
He can really trust that dude to go make some plays for him.
asserted
He → trust → him
So I just think that he’s a really good receiver.
asserted
he → think → ?
It’ll be another draft that doesn’t explain what type of player he is.”
asserted
he → explain → player
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
