In the last 10 NFL campaigns, the Arizona Cardinals had a fixed game in the cornerback position. Patrick Peterson, eight times Pro Bowler, will be considered one of the greatest guys in the franchise’s history. There is a chance, however, that Peterson’s time with the Cardinals is coming to an end.
With the 30-year-old’s impending free agency now before them, the Arizona office may have to start planning life without Peterson. An option to replace the defensive stalwart could come out of the NFL draft next April. The Cards hold the 16th general selection of the first round, and there is one corner in particular that is already being mentioned as a possibility for Vance Joseph’s defensive unit.
Jaycee Horn, a third-year student at the University of South Carolina, is being linked to the Cardinals in the preliminary edition of several simulation projects. The 21-year-old has the size (6’1,205) and length that the organization has always wanted in his cornerbacks. Could a union between the Cards and Horn really occur when the opening round of the draft begins on April 29?
As a freshman in 2018, Horn recorded 45 tackles, eight defended passes and two sacks for Gamecocks. A year later, in the second year, the defensive team recorded 40 tackles, nine pass separations and a sack. And then came the slightly controversial campaign for Horn’s juniors.
After coach Will Muschamp was fired in November, Horn decided to stay out of the South Carolina 2020 final three games. “Since I was seven years old, I have always dreamed of playing professional football,” said the young man in his ad. “After a lot of thinking, I decided to give up the rest of the season and prepare for the 2021 NFL draft.”
Horn played well in the seven competitions in which he appeared for the Gamecocks last fall. The cornerback contributed 16 tackles, six defended passes and the first two interceptions of his college career against the Auburn Tigers. It is not a bad hearing for Arizona and for any other club that may be considering recruiting the talented Horn next spring.