Why Panthers’ Jalen Coker says Adam Thielen is ‘invaluable’ as mentor to rookie WRs
Adam Thielen spent the past seven games standing on the sideline. And while he hasn’t been able to contribute on the field with his teammates, the younger playmakers in the Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver room have still felt his impact in the locker room and in between drives.
Thielen, 34, has been mentor of sorts for the Panthers’ two standout rookie wide receivers. First-round pick Xavier Legette and undrafted upstart Jalen Coker have leaned on Thielen as they navigate their respective rookie seasons.
Coker, in particular, believes having Thielen as a resource has helped him immensely as he adapts to the NFL game.
“Invaluable,” Coker told The Observer on Monday. “I’m so blessed to have someone that’s come from a very similar situation — not to mention, the (similar) attributes: speed, size, catching, route-running types of the things. We match up so well, so when he says something to me, I can almost immediately take that, and I don’t have to mold it into my own way. I can kind of take it exactly how he’s saying it because we have such similar play styles.”
Thielen has a comparable pedigree to Coker.
Both entered the league after standout careers at small-school college programs. They both went undrafted, and spent time on the practice squad as rookies. But eventually, the two wideouts — separated by 11 years in age — got their shot at the game-day roster and didn’t look back.
It also helps that Thielen, like Coker, is a notable weapon at the slot receiver spot. Both players win with technique and leverage more than they do with size, strength and speed.
While Thielen (6-foot-2, 195 lbs.) has been nursing his hamstring injury on injured reserve, Coker (6-3, 213 lbs.) has stepped up in his absence.
Over the past seven games, Coker has produced 17 catches for 263 yards and a touchdown. He’s done all of this while taking notes from Thielen in meetings and at practice.
“I think he’s been the same since when he was healthy,” Coker said. “He’s kind of been a shoulder to lean on, a guy that you can come to with any type of question, and he’s just such a great teammate, such a great … extra coach for us, especially for the young guys. He’s done it, so what a blessing to have him in our room.”
Following the trades of Diontae Johnson to Baltimore and Jonathan Mingo to Dallas, Thielen will return to a wide receiver lineup that looks quite different from the one he played in during the Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Legette, who leads the team with 284 receiving yards and four touchdowns, and Coker have become focal points of the passing game, along with rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. Thielen, the elder statesman of the crew, will need to carve out a role that allows him produce big plays but also complements the development of the rookies around him.
Coker, with that similar skill set, could rotate with a returning Thielen in the slot and at the Z position. That rotation could happen as early as Sunday’s matchup at Bank of America Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I think you can’t just focus on one guy,” Coker said. “You’ve kind of got to spread it around (defensively). I think that makes us really dangerous. A lot of guys can do a lot of things with the football, so the more we can just get it around, kind of spread out that defense, it’s going to open up the run game even more, too.”
