4 Panthers defenders that could benefit from Deshaun Watson trade
By Luke Gray
Keith Taylor Jr. – Carolina Panthers CB
Shipping Jaycee Horn as part of a deal for Deshaun Watson would be simply ludicrous, seeing as though they drafted the cornerback just a year ago at No. 8 overall with Mac Jones and Justin Fields still on the board.
However, one player that could potentially benefit from Horn being traded is second-year man Keith Taylor Jr. The fifth-round pick from Washington was a pleasant surprise with injuries to Horn and Donte Jackson, which saw the rookie get elevated playing time and he impressed.
However, the cornerback room within the Carolina Panthers was last year filled with excellent talent. But with possible free-agent departures and now Horn potentially being traded this leaves the room thin.
With Stephon Gilmore and Donte Jackson now free agents, if Horn gets traded that leaves Carolina with A.J. Bouye, Taylor, C.J. Henderson, Troy Pride Jr., and Stantley Thomas Oliver III under contract.
With Bouye a candidate to be cut to clear some cap space that could leave remaining options under significant pressure to fill some gaping holes.
Taylor started to struggle toward the end of the season as injuries left him as a top option on the depth chart. This may show he’s not quite ready to yet lead the unit, which for a Day 3 selection in only his second year is perfectly understandable.
Although we only saw a small sample size of Horn in 2021, he has all the attributes to be a potential lockdown corner in the league. Taylor is someone who could be paired alongside the South Carolina product to form a prolific pairing for years to come.