Who Should I Start? Jalen Tolbert or Jalen Coker

Wednesday, February 18, 7:06 AM

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert ended up getting buried on the depth chart during a crucial contract year in 2025. Tolbert opened the year as the presumptive No. 3 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but he fell down the picking order as Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin took on larger roles. Pickens' breakout in Dallas also reduced Tolbert's volume. Tolbert ultimately finished the year sixth on the team in receiving yards (203) and seventh in receptions (18). Both represented a major step backward from 2024, when he had 49 catches, 610 yards, and seven touchdowns while finishing as the WR45 in PPR leagues. Tolbert's strong 2024 season will generate some interest in free agency, but the fact that he was essentially reduced to a non-factor in 2025 really hurts his stock. Plus, at 26 years old, teams will be looking to round out their depth chart with younger upside receivers. Tolbert can be dropped in most dynasty leagues. In very deep formats, he can be held for now, then traded when he signs somewhere this offseason.

Friday, January 30, 12:43 PM

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that wide receiver Jalen Coker will enter the offseason as the team's No. 2 wideout behind 2025 first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan, according to David Newton of ESPN. Newton also writes that the Panthers' top offseason priority is locking Coker down long term. He's an exclusive-rights free agent, so the team could tender him an offer for the league minimum to ensure that he's around in 2026 at a low cost. The 24-year-old came on strong late in 2025 and had nine catches for 134 yards and one touchdown in the Wild-Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. If the Panthers truly believe in Coker, they could look to lock him up long-term at a reasonable price. Injuries have limited Coker to 22 regular-season games in his first two years in the NFL, but when on the field, he's been productive, catching 65 passes for 872 yards and five touchdowns on 89 targets. If he can finally stay healthy in Year 3, Coker has true breakout potential.