Panthers News: Jaycee Horn, Austin Corbett, Bryce Young and NFC South hopes

Carolina Panthers CB Jaycee Horn 'undervalued'

The Carolina Panthers have a lot of players on the cusp of stardom heading into the 2023 season. Under Frank Reich and his all-star coaching staff, they can take that next step and enter the national limelight as a result of their on-field efforts in 2023.

One individual that definitely falls into this category is Jaycee Horn. The former first-round selection looked like a true shutdown coverage presence last season before injury once again cut his campaign short, which played a significant role in Carolina's divisional title challenge coming to an abrupt halt at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17.

The defensive back has high expectations and enormous pressure on his shoulders entering Year 3. There are some concerns about the Panthers' cornerback options and whether their prised possession can turn out for a full 17-game slate, but Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports named Horn as Carolina's most underappreciated player heading into the campaign nonetheless.

"Another player on a rookie deal, the Panthers receive excellent value for a player of Horn's caliber. Horn allowed just a 35.8 passer rating in coverage last season, with no touchdowns and three interceptions. He was only targeted 51 times last year, a definition of a shutdown corner when he's on the field. In the third year of his rookie contract, Horn's cap number for 2023 is $5,757,858. Whether Horn is on the field or not, that's excellent value for the Panthers -- especially since he's already one of the better cover corners in the game."

- Jeff Kerr, CBS Sports

That might be the case for those who don't follow or cover the team closely. But anyone with connections to the Panthers knows how vital Horn is to the team's hopes of making immediate strides with Reich leading the charge.