At this point in the NFL Draft cycle, it can become exhausting to track draft after draft to see who each analyst projects that their favorite team will choose in the first round in late April.
Cynthia Frelund, from NFL.com, takes an interesting angle in her simulated drafts, relying heavily on analysis to guide her choices. Granted, these analyzes can lead to some wrong choices, like Michigan EDGE defender Kwity Paye going to the Atlanta Falcons in 4th overall, or North Dakota’s Trey Lance dropping to 15th for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
However, Frelund hit the Indianapolis Colts at No. 21, pairing Chris Ballard, Frank Reich, Matt Eberflus and Co. with South Carolina’s prominent cornerback Jaycee Horn, potentially closing a striking hole in the cornerback for blue and white with Xavier Rhodes. the free and young agent Rock Ya-Sin struggling in general.
Here’s what Frelund had to say about Horn’s pairing with the Colts in 21st overall.
“The PFF shows that Horn only allowed eight receptions on 24 targets for 116 yards in seven games in 2020.”
At face value, these are some pretty impressive numbers for a cornerback at a pass-happy conference like the SEC.
Horn, son of the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame, Joe Horn, has all the attributes that a team looks for in a men’s coverage corner in today’s game. He has the size (6’1 “, 200 pounds) and physicality to thrive on an island and set the tone, much like a young Xavier Rhodes.
Although the Colts probably adapted better to the attack on the left or changing the number 21 choice, hitting a piece like Horn could play well in the division against the wide receivers DJ Chark and AJ Brown for many years.
Follow Josh on Twitter @ByJoshCarney.
Follow the Horseshoe Huddle on Twitter and the Facebook.