Jimmy Horn Jr. wasn’t supposed to be a headline, especially not this soon.
When the Carolina Panthers drafted the undersized wide receiver out of Colorado in the sixth round, the expectation was to give him time. Time to learn the playbook, adjust to NFL speed, and develop behind veterans.
But injuries — mainly to Jalen Coker and veteran David Moore — as well as the Adam Thielen trade, opened the door, and Horn’s relentless preparation did the rest. Now, the opportunity he has been waiting for is turning into production.
Jimmy Horn Jr. is staking a strong claim for consistent involvement with Carolina Panthers
In Carolina’s last two games, Horn has been quietly effective — and increasingly involved. He’s caught four of his five targets for 57 receiving yards while adding 21 yards on the ground. Those aren’t numbers that jump off the page, but for a player making his first real NFL impact, they’re the kind of touches that matter.
Against the Dallas Cowboys, Horn led all Panthers wideouts in receiving yards, hauling in both his targets for 36 yards and adding an 11-yard jet sweep in the team’s memorable win. But more than the numbers was how he got them.
The speed popped. The burst was obvious. And the confidence was on full display.
Quarterback Bryce Young, who’s developed a quick chemistry with Horn in practice, noticed the difference long before the box scores caught up.
"Someone who's been in the background working, just ready to go, and just his patience, his willingness to do whatever it is for the team, scout team, he's been going 100 percent, giving us all a great attitude. A guy that wants to work, he's excited to be here every day regardless of what the circumstances have been, so I'm super excited for him."Bryce Young via Panthers.com
Horn’s teammates describe him with one word: dawg.
He’s smaller than most NFL receivers at 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, but Horn plays with a chip on his shoulder big enough to make up for it. Fellow rookie Tetairoa McMillan called him “fast, crafty, a good route runner,” but said what really stands out is his edge.
“He’s got that dawg in him,” McMillan said. “He’s been waiting his turn, and now he’s showing what he can do.”
Carolina is sitting at 2-0 since Horn’s debut, with the offense looking better than ever under head coach Dave Canales. Even if Coker returns from injury soon, it’s hard to imagine the first-year pro fading quietly into the background again.
Not after this.