NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller has his Mock Draft 1.0 out and there are three former South Carolina football players who made the cut. There is surprising disdain, but Gamecocks would have a first round draft choice for the third time in four years if that simulated draft came to fruition.
Offensive striker Sadarius Hutcherson either had a noticeable drop in projection in the middle of the round out of the draft, or was erroneously left out of Miller 1.0’s fake draft. Anyway, Hutcherson was not on the 224 teams at the moment.
Defensive back Jaycee Horn, however, continues to receive love in the first round, as it continues to be placed somewhere among the first 32 general selections. There were some of the top ten projections, but most show it in their late teens or early twenties.
The Draft Scout puts him 16th in the Arizona Cardinals. Here’s what was written about the former Gamecocks star:
Analysis: Patrick Peterson’s season in Arizona is likely to end when he enters the free game this season. His replacement and a perfect defense fit are on the board in 16th overall position.
Jaycee Horn it is a large and long cornerback (6’1 ”, 205 lbs) that stands out for approaching to play the ball and has the size to run on stage with professional receivers. Your timed speed will be crucial to your assessment, but Horn’s tape is the caliber of the first round. When asked to play on the scrimmage line in press situations, he can excel with his combination of length and speed.
The next player on the South Carolina football team last year is the ex-defensive player Israel Mukuamu. A projection of the first round of the preseason, Mukuamu did not appear in any first round of the postseason.
He is chosen to go to the fourth round with the general selection No. 107 for the New York Giants. Mukuamu would be the Giants’ second choice in defending South Carolina in so many years with the linebacker TJ Brunson going to the organization for a year.
Wide receiver Shi Smith, which completed its four years with Gamecocks, is the third and last projection in this particular simulation sketch. He is scheduled to go to the fifth round with the general choice No. 158 for the Buffalo Bills. Smith would be the first Gamecock member to join Bills since Stephon Gilmore was drawn up in the first round in 2012.