Carolina Panthers' undrafted free agent class ranked highly by experts

Jeremy Vernon

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Carolina Panthers' undrafted free agent class ranked highly by experts image

The Carolina Panthers added seven players in the 2024 NFL Draft last week, but they didn't stop there when it came to acquiring new talent.

Carolina has also signed 17 players who went undrafted. And according to a Consensus Big Board compiled by NFL writer Arif Hasan, the Panthers signed more top-300 prospects than any other team in the NFL with five.

Here's a look at the five players Carolina brought in who rank in the top 300 of Hasan's Consensus Big Board, which can be found at wideleft.football.

Jalen Coker, WR, Holy Cross

The Panthers traded up into the first round to take receiver Xavier Legette at No. 32 overall, but Carolina also added some receiving talent after the draft. The highest-rated undrafted receiver is Jalen Coker, who had at least 50 catches in each of his final three seasons at Holy Cross.

Coker, who stands at 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds, is known for his ability to make tough catches and use his size to shield off defenders. His vertical jump of 42.5 inches tied for the best mark of any player at this year's NFL Combine.

He isn't the quickest player, though, as he ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at the combine and looked a little slow running routes throughout his college career. Before the draft, analysts were also concerned about the level of competition Coker played against at Holy Cross, which competes at the FCS level.

Coker was named a first-team FCS All-American in 2023 after catching 59 passes for 1,035 yards and 15 touchdowns. He finished his college career with a school record 2,715 receiving yards and 31 receiving touchdowns.

Andrew Raym, C, Oklahoma

Center was a position of need for the Panthers before the draft, but they waited until after the festivities to bring one into the building. That center is Andrew Raym, who started 29 games over his final three years at Oklahoma.

Raym possesses prototypical NFL size at 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds. He uses his strength to his advantage, though analysts noted he has slow hands at the point of attack and can struggle against quicker defenders. 

Raym was the anchor of an offensive line that helped the Sooners rank third in the country in yards per game (507.0) in 2023. If he can clean up some of his technical issues and lean into his strengths as a gritty mauler, he could find his way onto the team's final 53-player roster.  

Willie Drew, CB, Virginia State

The Panthers also had needs at defensive back heading into the draft. Carolina selected Washington State corner Chau Smith-Wade in the fifth round, but they didn't take another secondary player in the draft.

One of the free agents Carolina signed after the draft is Willie Drew, a corner from James Madison. Projected by some to go as high in the sixth round in the draft, Drew ended up falling right into the Panthers' lap.

Drew was known as a ballhawk for Virginia State, racking up 11 interceptions over his final two seasons with the team. He also had 23 pass breakups, 77 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss over the same period.

With 4.4 speed, Drew has the quickness to keep up with athletic receivers. That said, he tends to struggle when playing against bigger, stronger pass-catchers.

Demani Richardson, S, Texas A&M

Another defensive back Carolina added after the draft was Texas A&M safety Demani Richardson, who played in 56 games over five years with the Aggies from 2019-23.

Richardson totaled 304 tackles during his college career along with 14 pass breakups, four interceptions and four forced fumbles. He stands at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, giving him ideal size for a safety prospect.

Two of Richardson's four career interceptions came against Alabama, including one against Panthers starting quarterback Bryce Young.

Unlike Drew, Richardson uses strength over finesse when it comes to playing in the secondary. While he is a plus tackler and a big hitter, he can possesses below-average quickness and can seem a step behind the play at times when he isn't immediately locked in on a target.

Richardson was ranked 287th overall in Hasan's Consensus Big Board. 

Jaden Shirden, RB, Monmouth

The Panthers unexpectedly added a running back in the NFL Draft by way of second-round pick Jonathan Brooks, and they picked up another in Monmouth back Jaden Shirden following the draft.

Shirden totaled 3,697 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns over his college career. Known as a home-run hitter, Shirden had 14 rushing touchdowns of at least 50 yards and finished his time at Monmouth with the school record for career yards per carry (7.3).

The 5-foot-8, 187-pound Shirden is lightning fast, but he does lack ideal running back size and might struggle to break tackles against bigger defenders. He profiles similarly to Jaleel McLaughlin, who signed as a UDFA with the Broncos last year and went on to rack up 570 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie with Denver in 2023.

Jeremy Vernon

Jeremy Vernon Photo

Jeremy Vernon is a reporter and editor from Greensboro, North Carolina, with a decade of experience in the industry. His previous stops include MLB.com and two local papers in N.C. — the Monroe Enquirer-Journal and the Chatham News + Record. When he isn’t working, you can likely find Jeremy at the dog park with his two-year old lab mix, Summer.