Jaycee Horn scouting report: Carolina Panthers get a starting corner in NFL draft
The Carolina Panthers entered the 2021 NFL draft in need of a cornerback.
On Thursday, with the eighth pick in the first round of the draft, they got one in South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn.
Horn was considered by most to be among the top three cornerbacks in the draft. The Panthers felt he was the best.
Horn is the son of former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Joe Horn.
Here is the scouting report on Horn.
Jaycee Horn in coverage
Horn, who is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound cornerback, was at his best when he was in man coverage. He often took on the assignments of guarding the opposing team’s best wide receiver. In 2020, that included Florida’s Kyle Pitts and Ole Miss’ Elijah Moore.
He was targeted 24 times through seven games in 2020. He allowed eight catches, three for touchdowns, but intercepted two passes. He also had six pass deflections. Quarterbacks had a 54.9 passer rating when targeting him.
In a 2019 game against the UNC Tar Heels, Horn didn’t allow a single catch when lined up in man coverage, according to an Observer film analysis. He also had a forced fumble and a sack.
Horn against the run
While Horn often shut down wide receivers, he struggled some against the run. But he wasn’t terrible. He had four missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced analytics. It’ll be one of the areas where he must improve.
Can he be a Day 1 starter with Panthers?
Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer and coach Matt Rhule believe so. And the Panthers may need him to start on Day 1. While they signed A.J. Bouye to a two-year deal, Bouye is suspended for the first two games of the 2021 season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
But Horn has the size and speed to be a starter immediately. He ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, and his vertical jump was 41.5 inches.
Bottom line
The Panthers liked what they saw in Horn and felt he was the best available player on the board at the time. They received some trade calls, but none were enough to turn away from drafting Horn.
Horn will be an immediate contributor. And while he wasn’t regarded by most as the best cornerback in this class, he has the potential to be the best — and a potential All-Pro player.
This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 10:49 PM.
