When it comes to cornerbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft, much of the conversation revolves around Patrick Surtain II, from Alabama, and Virginia Tech. Caleb Farley. However, the former South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn he is also a player to watch who appears in the first round of many simulated drafts.
In Mel Kiper’s Mock Draft 3.0, released on Tuesday, Horn is the third cornerback off the table in 16th overall for the Arizona Cardinals, following Patrick Surtain from Alabama to Dallas in 10th overall Farley for the San Francisco 49ers in 12th position.
Surtain and Farley are ahead of him in most mockery, but that did not stop Horn from making a bold proclamation on Tuesday. He not only said it was the best cornerback, but took it a step further.
“I feel like I’m the best defensive player in the draft,” said Horn on Tuesday, via The Big Spur, an affiliate of 247Sports in South Carolina.
Over the course of three seasons, Horn started 29 games during his South Carolina football career and played in another. This season, he had 16 tackles in total, with one losing yards. He also has a couple of interceptions, both against Auburn when he beat the defensive player of the week at the SEC, and had six past breaches to his credit. Horn announced that he was opting out of the rest of the season on November 16, the day after Muschamp’s resignation.
Entering the 2020 season, Horn collected 85 tackles as a freshman and sophomore, with 6.0 tackles for loss, including 3.0 sacks. He had 17 career pass separations and two forced fumbles in 23 games, including 22 matches. In his first two seasons, according to the PFF, Horn played 1,426 snaps with opponents aiming at his receiver only 100 times for 57 submissions and two touchdowns.
According to ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, Horn recently was clocked at 4.39 on the 40-yard dash. That would put Horn close to the fastest players in the NFL Combine had the annual event that took place in this off-season.
Jim Nagy, senior executive director of the Bowl, recently explained on ESPN’s NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Special because he really thinks Horn it is a better prospect than Surtain and Farley.
“For me, Jaycee Horn from South Carolina, another bigger, bigger guy is better than both, “said Nagy.” The reason I like Jaycee so much is, first, when you talk about a press officer and an outsider, Jaycee probably does both better than the other two – in terms of versatility and how you can use it. Two, I just love the confidence, the style and the aggressiveness with which he plays.
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“This is what really sets you apart from the other two. Both Surtain and Farley are great, but I will take Horn if I’m trying to be a DB room.”
Brad Crawford and The Big Spur, from 247Sports, contributed to this story.