Thomas Davis breaks down Panthers rookie Jalen Coker’s big play vs. Cowboys

Carolina's legendary linebacker was impressed by one catch from Jalen Coker,but not the one you think.

Tim Weaver | 16 Hours Ago

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 15: Jalen Coker #18 of the Carolina Panthers celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. / (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

The first rookie class for Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan has hit a bit of a snag. While we saw some promising work from Xavier Legette early in the season, it's since been marred by a string of drops in big situations. Jonathon Brooks only managed to play 23 snaps before re-tearing the ACL that had him on the sidelines for nearly a year.

Meanwhile, Trevin Wallace is also now done for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. We have also seen some flashes from tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders, but you can make a strong case that right now the best rookie on this team is undrafted wide receiver Jalen Coker.

Coker has had a few impressive games, but this past Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys was by far his best yet in the NFL. He posted a team-high 110 receiving yards, which included an 83-yard catch and run for a touchdown. One observer who came away very impressed was Panthers legend Thomas Davis. Here's TD breaking down a big play from Coker, but not the one you're expecting.

Thomas Davis on Jalen Coker

TD breaks down Jalen Coker's contested catch @Microsoft | #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/mNt0Orkqve
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 18, 2024

Coker came into the league with sharp route-running skills. In fact, Steve Smith identified Coker as the best route runner in the entire rookie class before the draft. The big knock on Coker's game was his speed, but as we saw on the 83-yard score he has more than enough game speed to thrive at this level, despite his testing scores. If Coker can keep growing his game (especially contested catches like this) he may have a real chance of developing into the team's WR1, regardless of draft status.