4 injured Carolina Panthers players who should bounce back in 2022
By Dean Jones
Jaycee Horn – Carolina Panthers CB
After much speculation and deliberation, the Carolina Panthers picked Jaycee Horn at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. The South Carolina product wasted no time in making a significant impact across the roster, bringing an alpha mentality that had been sorely missing within the secondary before his arrival.
Horn was an absolute revelation to start the campaign. He looked like a true shutdown corner in the making before disaster struck thanks to a broken foot suffered on Thursday Night Football at the Houston Texans in Week 3.
This left Horn on the shelf for the remainder of the campaign. Even though the Panthers acquired Stephon Gilmore and C.J. Henderson in the trade market, they missed his presence considerably and the defense was never quite the same.
There’s been some debate as to whether the Panthers should have gone in a different direction with the pick. But this does not detract from what an outstanding player Horn could become providing he makes a full recovery as expected.
Horn was so good right out of the gate that opposing quarterbacks weren’t throwing the football in his direction unless forced into it. This is a tremendous indicator of the esteem in which he is held and if there are no further complications on the health front, the sky is the limit.