2021 NFL Draft: Carolina Panthers lockdown secondary, select Jaycee Horn

With the ninth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers added physical cornerback Jaycee Horn to their secondary.

The Carolina Panthers decided to address their big secondary need in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Jaycee Horn, formerly of South Carolina, has been added to a cornerback room that is led by Donte Jackson. Now, after being selected ninth overall, Horn will step in as the assumed number two corner for the NFC South team that will have to contend with the likes of Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, and many more talented pass catchers.

Horn spent three years in South Carolina, quickly becoming a lockdown guy for the Gamecocks. He racked up 101 tackles over his years in college, while also intercepting two passes and broke up another 23 passes over that time as well.

With this pick, the Panthers add a very athletic corner who is very physical with the wideouts he lines up against. He comes off of three years of playing in the SEC where the conference has been loaded with quality wide receivers in the past few years (tons of NFL picks too). Adding someone with Horn’s physicality and experience with top-notch pass catchers to a team that has to play so many elite wideouts every year is a great addition for this Carolina team.

Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline noted that Horn’s athleticism and physicality allow him to keep up with most receivers as he is quick to flip his hips and engage his opponent throughout the route. He also does a good job of locating the ball in the air and getting in the receiver’s way to break up the pass.

He is a great man coverage corner and fits best in a scheme that runs that more often than zone. That is because of his physicality and willingness to get into the face of whoever he finds himself matched up against. All in all, adding Horn to their cornerback room is a great selection and fits nicely across from the current top Panther corner, Donte Jackson.