New Panthers CB Jaycee Horn compared to Pro Football Hall of Famer

Jaycee Horn expectations with the Carolina Panthers

It’s worth remembering that rookie cornerbacks tend to go through plenty of complications going up against faster, stronger, and more experienced wide receivers at the next level who will punish every single mistake. The most recent of these was Jeff Okudah, who was taken No. 3 overall by the Detroit Lions in 2020 only for the player to endured a torrid rookie campaign.

The point is, expecting too much from Jaycee Horn from the word go could be unrealistic.

History is against the Carolina Panthers if they want an instant Pro Bowl-level caliber player. But allowing the former Gamecock to lean on experienced figures such as Donte Jackson and A.J. Bouye would be highly beneficial during his transition.

Horn will be eager to stamp his authority on the NFL from Week 1. He is supremely competitive, plays the game with a real edge in terms of physicality, and is a strong tackling presence either in coverage or coming to assist in run support.

This might ensure the Panthers get some good production early from the player. But one doesn’t have to look far to see just how things can start trending downwards for first-year cornerbacks that aren’t quite ready for the step-up in class.

Thankfully, Horn has been around the NFL all his life and has no doubt generated a substantial amount of useful advice from his father. So he is better prepared than most to become a star in no time at all.

And who knows, he might even reach a level we saw from Champ Bailey one day.