5 Carolina Panthers players who impressed during Colts scrimmages
By Dean Jones
Jaycee Horn – Carolina Panthers CB
It didn’t take long for Jaycee Horn‘s competitive fire to come through during joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts. The No. 8 overall selection got into a scuffle within the first few minutes on Day 1 and this is something that motivated the cornerback to a strong showing overall throughout a challenging two days.
Horn was beaten on occasions – especially during one-on-one drills – but the South Carolina product handled himself really well ahead of his Carolina Panthers debut on Sunday.
Expectations couldn’t be much higher for Horn, who has the potential to become the shutdown cornerback Carolina’s been looking for since Josh Norman left after the 2015 NFC Championship-winning season.
Anyone expecting Horn to come in and become an instant All-Pro will be disappointed. First-year players at the position take more time to adjust than most, but the son of former Pro Bowler Joe Horn has the right sort of mindset to not let the little mistakes bother him.
It’s also worth remembering that this was Horn’s first time coming up against NFL-caliber wide receivers that weren’t teammates. Consistent reps against D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson can only help his development, but there’s nothing quite like mixing it with less familiar foes.
So far, so good for Horn. But what comes next is equally if not more important.