South Carolina football: NFL draft outlook for former Gamecocks

Draft grades for South Carolina football players.

Pro Football Network chief draft analyst Tony Pauline has released his prospect rankings for the upcoming NFL draft, and if his predictions are correct, the South Carolina football team will lose a number of players to the professional ranks in 2021, despite finishing the season with just two wins. On the list are a handful of defenders, one of the most productive receivers in program history, and a couple of maulers on the offensive line.

Let’s look at each player profile, as Pauline projects where each prospect will land in the selection ceremony.

Topping the list is junior defensive back Jaycee Horn, who lands at No. 28 in the rankings. He’s the only Gamecock to receive a first round draft grade, and is considered to be the fourth best cornerback in the draft.

Horn, a three-year starter for the Gamecocks, tallied his first two interceptions in 2020, and received National Player of the Week honors following a lockdown performance against Auburn in October.

Horn opted out of the team’s final three games following the firing of head coach Will Muschamp, but to that point, had the lowest completion percentage allowed among SEC corners.

The son of NFL great Joe Horn, Jaycee looks to follow in his father’s footsteps, and he could become the second South Carolina defender selected in the first round in as many years (J. Kinlaw).

Next up is fellow defender and team leader Ernest Jones, who has paced the defensive unit in tackles for each of the last two seasons. Last year, Jones finished with 97 takedowns, and he followed it up with an 86-tackle season in 2020.

The junior linebacker is considered by Pro Football Network to be a top 100 prospect, coming in at No. 96 in the rankings. He ranks as the eighth-best draft eligible inside linebacker, and received a third round draft grade.

Jones twice had games of 18 tackles or more this past season, and has been the vocal leader in the Carolina locker room since his freshman year. He concludes his career with 199 tackles, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, and a recovery.

After Jones comes the first player from the offensive side of the ball in lineman Dylan Wonnum. Wonnum, a junior, is the brother of DJ Wonnum, a former Gamecock and fourth round selection of the Minnesota Vikings in 2019.

Wonnum has been a starter along the Carolina front since his rookie season, when he earned freshman All-America honors. He came to the university as a highly regarded, four-star recruit, and built upon that foundation in the South Carolina offense.

Wonnum appeared in more than 20 games over his three-year career, and though he’s not yet made his NFL Draft decision known, he could be heading to the professional ranks a season early. He is considered the 15th best offensive tackle in the draft.