JalenCoker

News: 4 days agoCoker played 10 snaps on offense and didn't show up in the box score otherwise during the Panthers' 29-14 loss to the Bills in Saturday's preseason game.

Spin: Coker hauled in a nine-yard catch from Bryce Young early in the second quarter, but the play was negated by a penalty. Coker missed the first six games of the 2025 regular season due to a quad injury and had modest production upon his return, but he broke out in the Panthers' NFC wild-card loss to the Rams, when he logged nine catches (on 12 targets) for 134 yards and a touchdown. He inked a three-year, $35 million contract extension with Carolina in June and is slated to serve as the team's WR2 behind Tetairoa McMillan, with Xavier Legette, Jimmy Horn and John Metchie providing depth at the position.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: After missing nearly the entire first half of 2025, Coker passed Xavier Legette and took on a larger offensive role opposite Tetairoa McMillan. From Week 8 onward (11 games, including the playoffs), Coker played 73% of the snaps and handled a 17.8% target share. The fantasy output was inconsistent (below 11.5 points in seven games), but he peaked down the stretch (more than 14 points in four of his final six, including a 9-134-1 showing against the Rams in the playoffs). Coker's strong finish is encouraging, though his rookie season went similarly (14-plus points three times, but under 11 in the other nine games). A healthy 2026 could get Coker to the next level, but flex production is his likely ceiling as long as McMillan is commanding one-quarter (if not more) of the targets in Carolina's Bryce Young-led offense.