CHARLOTTE — For the first three weeks of the Carolina Panthers season, Jalen Coker was a bit of everyone.

One week, he was Chris Olave, preparing the Panthers defense for the Saints. Another he was Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey, and then he got to be Davante Adams ahead of Raiders week.

It was an interesting dichotomy for a rookie making his way in the NFL, trying to establish what kind of player he can in the league, while constantly having to experience the metamorphosis week after week of being someone new.

"Regardless of who I am, if it is Olave or whoever, I'm happy to be out there and just help the team," Coker said, ever the team player.

He would watch tape of the receivers he was emulating, checking "how they set up, how they get into certain stems, certain routes" to better give the defense an accurate look. This also meant wearing a jersey with the respective receiver's number on it.

Then, after the Week 3 win over the Raiders, the Panthers had to place Adam Thielen on injured reserve. Coker was signed from the practice squad, and that Wednesday in practice, he donned a different jersey; his own.

"At the end of the day, I'm just going to be myself out there and it feels good to have my own name on my back," Coker said.

In Coker's first NFL action against the Bengals, he got one target but no receptions. Then Sunday against the Bears, Coker broke out. He finished with a team high four receptions for 68 yards. Dave Canales gave Coker a shout-out on Monday, highlighting the rookie's ability to make plays on valuable reps. It's the faint silver lining to the rash of injuries; a chance to quickly assess those who might be called upon more in the near future.

"I'm embracing it," Coker said of the opportunity. "I want those guys to get healthy and I want us to be playing together. So, I mean, that's my main focus, but I'm going to do everything I can to help the team.

"I feel like it's more on the young guys to be prepared, be ready, you know, your opportunity is going to come whenever it does. So just always stay in film, stay in the playbook and just be ready for that, for your moment."

Coker's first "moment" came in the second quarter against the Bears. Facing a second-and-6 on their own side of the field in a two-minute drill, Andy Dalton found Coker on an out route. Coker had Bears corner Kyler Gordon in his hip pocket but made a move 13 yards deep to dump Gordon on the ground. Then he took a shoulder hit from safety Jaquan Brisker, regained his balance and used the sideline for an edge, taking the catch-and-run for 31-yards.

"They called the play, you kind of have that little inkling of like if you're going to get it or not," Coker shared. "So, they called the play and I kind of felt like I was going to be on target for that one. So, it came my way and made a play, had a little break tackle and then, but it was good. It was good."

On first glance, it appeared Coker could have picked up more yardage, but the rookie knew it was a long shot to take it for a score form that point, and didn't want to waste valuable time.

"I was looking at the clock as I was running down the sideline, I kind of wanted to make the smarter decision than try to make it heroic, like I take it all the way. Just wanted to get out of bounds, you have more plays for later."

Regardless, the catch, the yardage, the whole moment, was one the Coker family has waited years to experience. Coker's family went viral after he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Panthers following the NFL draft. His dad, a huge Panthers fan living in Virginia, had dreamed of a day like Sunday.

"Of course, he was very excited," Coker said. "My whole family was excited. My aunt and uncle were there in Chicago, so they were having a great time there too. Love seeing me out there."

Coker is still waiting for his first NFL regular season touchdown (he had one in the preseason) and plans on saving that ball when it comes. But for now, he made sure to save his jersey from his first NFL game with a catch, the jersey with his own name on the back, the name that his dad always knew he'd see making plays on the field.

"He'll tell you that he's always known I was going to be in this position," Coker shared. "He's just really proud of me. So, I don't think it's nothing extra, just all the same stuff. He's always known I'd be here."