Panthers sign WR-turned-S Alex Cook from Giants practice squad

The Carolina Panthers need some help in quite a few spots—but perhaps most notably at the receiver and safety positions. And it just so happens that they’ve signed a guy who can play both.

Ok, we probably won’t be seeing any Shohei Ohtani or Travis Hunter type of stuff, but the Panthers have signed wideout-turned-safety Alex Cook on Tuesday. The rookie defender, who was plucked straight off the New York Giants practice squad, now becomes the 53rd man on Carolina’s active roster.

A Sacramento, Cali. native, Cook played his college ball at the University of Washington from 2018 to 2022. After playing out his first year there as a receiver, reeling in one catch for 26 yards, he switched to safety beginning in his sophomore campaign.

Cook went on to amass 139 total tackles (4.5 for a loss), three passes defensed and an interception over four seasons on defense. In 2022, he was voted as a team captain by his fellow Huskies and would go on to earn an All-Pac-12 Second Team nod.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in the spring.

The Panthers were without both of their starting safeties, Vonn Bell and Xavier Woods, in this past Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins.