4 winners and losers from Carolina Panthers early offseason workouts in 2023

Loser: Jaycee Horn - Carolina Panthers CB

If Jaycee Horn thought he was due some good fortune on the injury front heading into the 2023 season, he should think again. The stud cornerback is currently in a walking boot thanks to an ankle and foot complication suffered during an individual workout, which kept him out of mandatory minicamp, and is expected to be healed before the time to descend on Wofford College arrives.

In one way, it's good that the problem occurred when there isn't really anything going on. Missing practice given the Carolina Panthers are transitioning to a 3-4 base defense under Ejiro Evero isn't ideal, but it's not the end of the world by any stretch.

However, this does nothing to quash the concerns about Horn's durability. He's missed a lot of football over his first two years in the league - 18 games to be precise - so it's not hard to see why the injury-prone tag is being labeled at the former South Carolina sensation.

Horn is rolling with the punches after yet another setback, which is the right mindset to have. Because if the No. 8 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft starts getting in his own head, he's already lost half the battle.

Once Horn gets back onto the field, the Panthers must do everything in their power to minimize further risks. If that means treating the defensive back a little differently from the rest, so be it.