Jalen Coker emerges as needed reliable No. 2 wide receiver for Bryce Young in Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Carolina quarterback Bryce Young has a reliable young wide receiver tandem to work with heading into next season - albeit not the duo the Panthers expected.

Jalen Coker's emergence down the stretch as the team's No. 2 receiver opposite emerging star and AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Tetairoa McMillan brings hope to the league's 26th-ranked passing game.

Coker had four touchdowns in Carolina's final six regular-season games and had career highs with nine catches and 134 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in Saturday's NFC wild-card game, including a go-ahead TD reception from Young with 2 1/2 minutes left in the game.

The Panthers (8-10) lost 34-31 to the Rams and were eliminated from the playoffs.

But Coker's big-play ability has helped solidify a passing game that struggled most of the season.

The Panthers expected 2024 first-round draft pick Xavier Legette to be a starting wide receiver, but he's been a disappointment so far and Coker has capitalized on the opportunity.

Coker, signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2024, played 88% of the team's offensive reps against the Rams compared to Legette's 40%.

"Jalen and T-Mac (McMillan) produced for us in an incredible way, and the chemistry with Bryce has certainly grown and they are going to have the first opportunity to be out there to start," Panthers coach Dave Canales said. "You want those guys out there on the field because of the impact they have made."

What this means for Legette remains to be seen.

He finished his second NFL season with just 35 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns, while Coker had 33 catches for 394 yards and three TDs despite missing the first six games of the season with an injury and having to work his way into lineup.

Canales said he still has faith in Legette, adding that he "just needs to keep grinding" and building on his rapport with Young.

Despite overseeing a unit that struggled on Saturday with the season on the line, it appears defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will be back next season.

After Coker's touchdown gave the Panthers a 31-27 lead, the 10 1/2-point underdog Panthers only needed to hold the Rams out of the end zone to pull off the upset.

Instead, Stafford moved the Rams down the field with relative ease against Carolina's zone defense, completing 6 of 7 passes for 71 yards before connecting with Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left for the winning score.

Carolina finished the season 18th in the NFL in defense - an improvement from the season before - but struggled to get of the field on third down, finishing 31st among 32 teams.

When asked if he planned to keep Evero as coordinator, Canales said "absolutely, yeah, 100 percent," adding that he has "complete faith" in him.

"Love the way that he's brought this group to play quality football together," Canales said. "Love our scheme, love what we do there, and getting our guys to play together when we execute this scheme, it's really difficult to play against, and the guys have found a way to play together, communicate together."

The Panthers got huge production earlier in the season from running back Rico Dowdle following an injury to starter Chuba Hubbard. Dowdle had three games with at least 130 yards on the ground, including a 206-yard outing against Miami en route to his second straight 1,000-yard season.

But Dowdle had his playing time slip dramatically in the second half of the regular season, going from lead back to splitting carries with Hubbard.

On Saturday, it was clear Hubbard had regained his spot as the lead back, carrying 13 times for 46 yards and two touchdowns, while Dowdle had just five carries for 9 yards.

Dowdle made it clear on Sunday that he feels that he's most productive when he gets the bulk of the carries and hinted that he'll consider moving on when he hits the free-agent market this offseason.

"I really don't have an answer for that question if I want to be back or not," Dowdle said. "I'm just going to see how things go."

It may be a mutual decision. The Panthers still believe 2024 second-round draft pick Jonathon Brooks can be a big factor in the running game if he can bounce back from a second major injury that kept him out this past season.

The team also drafted Trevor Etienne in the fourth round this past year and he could see an increased role next season if Dowdle doesn't return.

The bottom of the Panthers roster is expected to see significant overhaul this offseason.

Along with Dowdle, the Panthers have 19 unrestricted free agents but 14 of those are reserves or special teams specialists. Dowdle, linebackers DJ Wonnum and Christian Rozeboom, safety Nick Scott and offensive lineman Austin Corbett are the only regular starters set to become UFAs, although most of those are considered replaceable.

General manager Dan Morgan has placed an emphasis on developing young players and improving the team's depth since his arrival.

Left tackle Ickey Ekwonu, the No. 6 pick in the 2022 draft, suffered a significant knee injury on Saturday, leaving his availability for next season in doubt.

With Ekwonu's recovery time being anywhere from six to 12 months depending on the severity of the injury, Canales admitted that the Panthers will need to look at the NFL draft and free agency for a potential replacement.

The Panthers picked up the fifth-year option on Ekwonu's contract in April, and he'll count $17.56 million under the salary cap.

That money is guaranteed, regardless of whether Ekwonu plays in 2026. It's possible that the team will look to extend his contract despite the injury in an effort to spread out his salary over the next few years and reduce this year's salary cap hit.

The Panthers haven't won a playoff game since capturing the NFC championship in 2015.

The Panthers hold the No. 19 pick in the 2026 draft and have more cap space available ($28 million) to spend in 2026 than any of their NFC South counterparts. While their needs are many, upgrading the defensive front seven is a priority.

Carolina could also use a dynamic pass-catching tight end. Carolina's five tight ends combined to catch 92 passes for 798 yards and five touchdowns. Tommy Tremble led the way with 27 catches for 249 yards and two TDs.