Jalen Coker rose to WR3 on the Carolina depth chart on Wednesday morning, following the Panthers’ trade of Adam Thielen to the Vikings. The move has more impact for the Panthers than for the Vikings, as Thielen should be an early season piece to help the Vikings cover for Jordan Addison’s 3-game suspension. However, the move brings clarity to the Carolina WR room.
Expect Tetairoa McMillan to be the Panthers’ clear WR1, playing the majority of snaps outside. Xavier Leggette should man the flanker position, as an outside WR playing off the line of scrimmage. Now, with the Thielen trade, preseason standout Jalen Coker moves into the WR3 role and should man the slot position in 3WR personnel groupings.
The FantasyNow+ Ultimate Draft Guide already mentioned Coker as a player that should be targeted ahead of his ADP. The Thielen trade and resulting opportunity only strengthens this stance and should make Coker a priority target as a bench WR. Coker should produce at a WR3-level but is currently being drafted as WR87 (expect this to rise sharply if you have yet to draft). Coker is a budding talent that has been called out by Reception Perception’s Matt Harmon for his surprisingly strong success rates against coverage. Consider him a free square later in drafts so that you can focus on other positions early in your draft.
