Before the NFL starts to welcome their next crop of rookies later this month, Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus took a dive into the work of last year's group.
Locker recently sorted out each of the league's 32 rookie classes from the 2024 campaign—ranked from most productive to least productive. And based off PFF's WAR statistic, the Carolina Panthers' first-year players combined for a 0.22 mark—good enough for 20th.
Here's what Locker had to note about Carolina's youngsters:
The Panthers’ best rookie wasn’t even one the team drafted: Receiver Jalen Coker was impressive with a 73.8 PFF receiving grade and 1.72 yards per route run, arguably becoming Bryce Young’s most consistent target by the end of the season. Additionally, fourth-round tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders played 531 offensive snaps, racking up 0.10 WAR but recording only a 52.5 PFF overall grade. First-round receiver Xavier Legette underwhelmed with a 59.4 PFF receiving grade and a 14% drop rate.
Coker tallied 32 catches for 478 yards and two touchdowns. His 73.8 receiving grade ranked fifth amongst all rookie wideouts—behind only Malik Nabers (87.1), Ladd McConkey (85.0), Brian Thomas Jr. (83.4) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (77.2).
Sanders may have disappointed with his overall mark, but he was relatively productive in the stat sheet. His 342 receiving yards were the most for a Panthers tight end since 2019 (Greg Olsen, 597).
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: PFF rankings: How productive was the Panthers' 2024 rookie class?
