Jul 24, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (18) catches a pass during trying camp. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Panthers GM Dan Morgan on what comes next for rising young WR Jalen Coker

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 9:00 AM ET

All eyes are on young Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker. After Adam Thielen got hurt last year, Coker's snaps in the slot role, which was mainly Thielen's, skyrocketed. This makes him the natural successor to Thielen, who was fittingly a UDFA just like Coker, following the trade.

Coker looked last year, at times, like he was the second-best wide receiver behind Thielen on the roster. Now, with Tetairoa McMillan here and Xavier Legette likely getting better, Coker slots firmly into the top three and will be heavily involved in the Panthers' offense, at least according to Dan Morgan.

Panthers GM opens up on new outlook for Jalen Coker

The Carolina Panthers traded away one of the oldest wide receivers in the NFL on Wednesday. It sparks a youth movement at the position, but it also opens up a lot more playing time for Jalen Coker in particular, GM Dan Morgan says.

"Any time you lose a receiver like Adam [Thielen], it's a big loss," Morgan began. "But at the same time, we're really excited about our young core of receivers. Jalen Coker's going to step into the slot, we're going to utilize a lot of resources with [Xavier Legette] and [Tetairoa McMillan]."

Morgan also added that the Panthers are "really excited about" some of the wide receivers they have even after losing such a valuable veteran. He added that it made him feel "more comfortable pulling the trigger" to prematurely move on from Thielen.

Coker was a major find for the Panthers last year after he went undrafted, and the offense was better when he was more involved. He caught the only touchdown pass from Bryce Young in the preseason and generally has had a pretty good training camp.

Now, the Panthers sport a trio of wide receivers with an average age of 23. The oldest player in the Panthers' WR room is David Moore at 29, and Hunter Renfrow is also 29 if he returns through the practice squad after spending training camp with the team. It's a lot younger of a position now.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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