3 reasons why Jaycee Horn was the right call by the Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have been fully committed to Sam Darnold, and picking Jaycee Horn proves it. 

Before the draft, there were rumors that the Carolina Panthers liked Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. All along, this was somewhat of a smokescreen, with the team trying to get someone to trade up for the No. 8 overall selection for a king’s ransom.

General manager Scott Fitterer even told the press that Sam Darnold’s fifth-year option wasn’t going to be picked up until after the draft – another way to dangle the carrot and make other teams think they were legitimately serious about taking Fields if he fell into their laps.

Obviously, the rumors about taking a quarterback were mostly just an attempt to acquire more in the way of draft capital. The Panthers must not have gotten a deal they thought was worth trading back, so they went with their best player available on their board, Jaycee Horn.

Carolina clearly thinks Darnold can be the future of the franchise. They passed up on a special talent in Fields to give him a real shot and boosted their cornerback options in the process with the acquisition of Horn.

This was the right move because they feel they already have a special talent in the quarterback room until proven otherwise. It would also be crazy to invest more in the position after trading three draft picks for Darnold.

Now, time will tell if this was the correct move based on how careers unfold. But as of today, the Panthers have to feel great about the selection.