4 Carolina Panthers who can make themselves major money in 2024

Jaycee Horn - Carolina Panthers CB

This is a make-or-break season for Jaycee Horn. It has nothing to do with the cornerback's production - which is nothing short of exceptional. However, the Carolina Panthers need to make sure they can depend on the player from a health standpoint after three frustrating campaigns on the injury front.

Horn got his fifth-year option picked up, which was a vote of confidence from the new regime. Unless the former first-round pick puts a consistent run of games together, it's hard to envisage a scenario where the Panthers offer him anything longer-term when the 2025 offseason arrives.

Nobody's more frustrated than Horn about his rough luck. The South Carolina product altered his offseason preparation throughout the break in pursuit of avoiding similar complications. Whether it has the desired effect remains to be seen, but the Panthers desperately need their No. 1 coverage guy fit and firing on all cylinders looking at the alternatives in the cornerback room.

Carolina is relying on Dane Jackson and Troy Hill to potentially start alongside Horn. After that, the others are unproven despite having some nice qualities. Unless Dan Morgan adds to the group before Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints, it's not hard to see where weak links could emerge.

That's a worst-case scenario. The best case for Carolina is Horn finally ridding himself of these problems and cementing his status as one of the league's best young cornerbacks. If this comes to fruition, it might be enough for Morgan and Brandt Tilis to provide the player with a long-term extension.

That's a risk, but the Panthers demonstrated a willingness to tie down influential figures ahead of time if they feel like it's the right thing to do. Derrick Brown is on a different level to Horn right now, but that might not be the case for much longer if he gets through a full 17-game slate relatively unscathed.