4 Carolina Panthers players who quietly had great seasons in 2022
By Dean Jones
Jaycee Horn – Carolina Panthers CB
There were some concerns about how Jaycee Horn would return after missing all but 2.5 games as a rookie with a broken foot. This complication raised further concern when the gifted cornerback experienced soreness during the team’s first conditioning test of training camp.
Horn laid waste to these fears quickly, demonstrating the true shutdown capabilities that the Carolina Panthers anticipated when they selected him at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Teams actively avoided his side of the field and although misfortune struck with a broken wrist in Week 16, it was a tremendous bounce-back campaign.
One only has to look at Carolina’s struggles in the secondary without Horn to see how valuable the defensive back is moving forward. While others such as Sauce Gardner got more attention, Horn quietly went about his business to emerge as one of the NFL’s premier players at the position.
The best thing about Horn is he’s only just scratching the surface. There’s a big chance he’ll get even better heading into his prime years, which is a scary prospect based on what we’ve witnessed from the player to date.
It might be worth the Panthers getting another cornerback to further solidify depth this offseason. Especially considering Donte Jackson faces a long road back from a torn Achilles.
However, Horn’s status and importance cannot be overstated.