4 Carolina Panthers rookies with unrealistic expectations in 2021

Jaycee Horn – Carolina Panthers CB

There will be no period of adjustment where Jaycee Horn is concerned. This is to be expected of a prospect who is taken in the top-10 and it’s going to be enormously interesting to see how the South Carolina product fares when the Carolina Panthers throw him in at the deep end during his rookie campaign.

Horn has a tremendous amount going for him. He is aggressive, physical, and represents a potential shutdown cornerback in the making. But if fans want the player to simply hit the ground running without any problems whatsoever, they’ll no doubt be left disappointed.

History is not on Horn’s side when it comes to making an immediate impact consistently. Rookie corners normally go through some struggles in the face of wide receivers who can punish them at any given opportunity, so this is something that cannot be ignored when it comes to Carolina’s latest first-round selection.

One only has to look at Jeff Okudah with the Detroit Lions in 2020, who was taken No. 3 overall. He went through some significant complications in his first season, leaving some wondering whether he’ll ever reach the sorts of heights expected when the prospect came out of Ohio State.

Being around the league as a youngster is sure to serve Horn well. But expecting him to step onto the field and shut down the best in the business from his first snap is not likely.