The aftermath: Jaycee Horn to IR, update on Panthers’ first-round pick outlook
The Carolina Panthers’ playoff dreams were crushed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. And while the Panthers’ season finale against the New Orleans Saints means little for this current campaign, the results of the Week 18 matchup could impact Carolina’s draft outlook this offseason.
The Panthers are slated to pick ninth overall entering the road finale against the Saints.
At 6-10, the highest the Panthers could climb with a loss is the sixth overall pick, but they’d need the Los Angeles Rams (5-11), Atlanta Falcons (6-10) and Las Vegas Raiders (6-10) to all win in their respective finales for that to happen.
But since the New Orleans Saints (7-9), Cleveland Browns (7-9), Tennessee Titans (7-9) and New York Jets (7-9) all have significantly stronger strengths of schedule, a Panthers win in Week 18 wouldn’t hurt their draft outlook all that much.
Essentially, tying the Saints — who owe their first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles — in the standings at 7-9, might not do anything at all for the Panthers’ draft positioning.
With interim head coach Steve Wilks looking to finish with a .500 record for his temporary tenure, the Panthers are going to prepare to close out the season with a win. At 6-10, the Panthers already have their best record in four seasons. With a seventh win — sixth for Wilks — the Panthers would tie their win total from 2018.
The NFL announced Monday that Sunday’s matchup will kickoff at 1 p.m.
Jaycee Horn to injured reserve
The Panthers will play their final game of the season without cornerback Jaycee Horn.
Horn, who underwent wrist surgery last Tuesday, was placed on injured reserve on Monday. With the Panthers eliminated from playoff contention, there was little reason to rush back the second-year cornerback.
Horn was injured in Carolina’s Week 16 win against the Detroit Lions. In 13 games this season, Horn produced 53 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions.
The 2021 first-round pick will now miss 18 total games due to injury during his first two seasons in the league. He battled through wrist and shoulder injuries this season.
Special teams is special
On Sunday, Panthers punter Johnny Hekker tied Todd Sauerbrun’s franchise single-season record of 35 punts downed within the 20-yard line. Hekker’s career high of punts downed within the 20-yard line is 51, which he set in 2016.
Hekker has averaged 44 yards per punt this season.
In other special teams success, kicker Eddy Piñeiro has taken the NFL lead in field-goal percentage. Piñeiro has made 32 of his 34 attempts (94.1%) on the season, which ranks No. 1 among kickers with at least 25 field-goal attempts.
Long snapper JJ Jansen also extended his franchise record game streak to 225. He can cap the year with 226 before becoming a free agent in March.
This story was originally published January 2, 2023 at 1:26 PM.
