5 Carolina Panthers players with big shoes to fill in 2021

Jaycee Horn – Carolina Panthers CB

• Shoes to fill – James Bradberry

It was a big call for the Carolina Panthers to make regarding James Bradberry in 2020 free agency. The cornerback was allowed to test the market and subsequently penned a big-money deal with the New York Giants, which inevitably came with a stark increase in production from the player last season.

Considering the problems Carolina had within their secondary last time around, paying him might have been wise despite the financial constraints the team was under due to an extortionate amount of dead cap money from bad deals.

However, that might be about to change in 2021.

The Panthers surprised everyone by taking Jaycee Horn at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Although it was clear he was high on their list of priorities going into the event.

Horn has got shutdown cornerback written all over him. His footwork is exceptional and this is matched by rare athleticism and a temperament that makes him unafraid of even the biggest moments.

If the South Carolina product reaches the level expected, there is no question he’ll be an upgrade on Bradberry or anything Carolina’s ever had before.

Horn could transform the Panthers’ fortunes in this area of the field. If Donte Jackson enjoys an injury-free campaign for probably the first time, the sky is the limit for a unit that became an area of significant frustration during the previous campaign.