Xavier Legette, Trevin Wallace, and Jalen Coker: Panthers rookies ignite hope for a brighter future in Carolina

Matt Alquiza | Oct 15, 2024

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Even the most staunch optimists would have a hard time finding a silver lining in the Carolina Panthers 1-5 start. The defense is on pace to set the NFL record for points allowed per game. The quarterback whom the franchise mortgaged their future for is now the league's high-profile backup. The -100 point differential through six games is reminiscent of an overmatched MAC team, not a franchise packed with salaried professionals.

With all that being said, pull out your microscope and look closely at the Panthers roster, and atom-sized glimmers of hope for a bright future can be found buried deep in the rubble. Four rookies, Xavier Legette, Trevin Wallace, Jalen Coker, and Ja'Tavion Sanders played large roles in Sunday's loss against the Atlanta Falcons, shedding light on the future of the moribund franchise.

Xavier Legette

The rookie wide receiver dunked all over the Falcons on his second career touchdown grab. Legette is at his best when he's able to use his Herculean physical gifts to overwhelm unsuspecting defenders. On his touchdown grab, Legette exploded out of his break into the corner of the end zone and out jumped Clark Phillips III for the score.

Carolina needs Legette to develop into a star. The Panthers offense has been stuck in the mud for what feels like the entire 2020s decade, and a major reason why is their inability to develop homegrown receiver talent. Second round picks Terrace Marshall Jr. and Jonathan Mingo have flamed out, leaving the Panthers' receiving room solely reliant on aging veterans like Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson. Legette has the requisite skills and physical gifts to become the next great receiver in Charlotte, and he's well on his way to delivering on that promise.

Trevin Wallace

Wallace has been a wrecking ball on defense. The unit as a whole has been shredded all season, but Wallace's promise as an inside linebacker is one of few positive takeaways from Carolina's depressing defensive performances. He followed up his 15 tackle banger of a debut with a forced and recovered fumble in his second week of extended action. Wallace projects to be the next great in a long line of Panthers linebackers that have defined the franchise's defensive identity. And for a unit that needs all of the talent it can get, unearthing Wallace as a hidden gem in the third round of the 2024 draft would be a major boon for Dan Morgan and Ejiro Evero's retooled defense.

Ja'Tavion Sanders

The rookie tight end more than doubled his career yardage production against Atlanta. Through five weeks of his career, Sanders accrued eight catches for 41 yards. Against a soft second layer of the Falcons defense, he hauled in five catches for 49 yards on a career-high seven targets. He was forced into first-team action this summer when incumbent starers Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas went down with soft tissue injuries, and continued ailments to those two have opened up the door for Sanders to thrive. He's far from a finished product, but Sanders' brief flashes of pass-catching potential are something to cling to in an otherwise lost season.

Jalen Coker

The undrafted free agent has made quite the impact through six NFL contests. Coker was waived in August, re-signed to the practice squad the next day, promoted to the active roster on September 24th, and received run as the team's WR3 in week six. Talk about a rocket ship to the top.

Coker's rise up the Panthers depth chart has been aided by an injury to Adam Thielen, but he's earned it on the field. The young receiver looks the part of a future starter, flashing savvy route-running skills and strong hands that are beyond his age. Coker, Legette, and a re-signed Diontae Johnson would be the start of something special in the Panthers receiving room in 2025 and beyond, giving Carolina a young, ascendent duo to pair with their alpha veteran.

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