Grading the Carolina Panthers’ last 5 first-round draft picks

Jaycee Horn – Carolina Panthers CB

• No. 8 overall selection

The 2021 draft class was expected to be the deepest in recent memory at the quarterback position. However, the Carolina Panthers opted to send three draft picks to the New York Jets for Sam Darnold and draft cornerback Jaycee Horn, instead.

Darnold failings under center indicate the Panthers might have been better off with someone like Justin Fields or Mac Jones due to position importance if nothing else. But that does not detract from what a special player Horn can become – even if the sample size was relatively small after the South Carolina product broke his foot in Week 3 at the Houston Texans.

Before that, things couldn’t have gone much better for Horn. He brought an alpha mindset to the organization that was evident from the moment he stepped onto the practice field and backed this up with exceptional performances in a competitive setting.

Horn has been chomping at the bit to get back down to business. Something that’s evident in workout videos published on social media over the last fortnight to further whet the appetite surrounding his impending return to the gridiron.

Pick Grade: A

Horn has shutdown corner written all over him. Providing there are no more complications on the health front, the second-year-pro could enter the Pro Bowl discussion in 2022 and surge into the elite category for players at the position.