South Carolina football: Chris Simms disrespects Jaycee Horn
By Jacob Elsey
Chris Simms omits star South Carolina football player from NFL Draft rankings.
Draft season is upon us, with Pro Days and offseason workouts in session as college athletes prepare for careers at the next level. A few of those soon-to-be NFLers happen to reside in South Carolina, including one that’s been viewed from day one as a unanimous first round pick.
Well, almost unanimous…
Jaycee Horn finished up his three-year tenure with the Gamecocks this fall, and will soon wait to hear his name called on the first day of the NFL Draft. He’s been viewed as a mid first round selection, typically falling between the No. 12 and No. 25 picks.
His final season with the Gamecocks was his best yet, hauling in two interceptions and locking down opposing receivers to the lowest completion totals in the Southeastern Conference. That group of SEC corners includes potential top 10 pick Patrick Surtain.
Despite those impressive numbers, and his posting some incredible numbers at the Gamecocks’ Pro Day last week, one major NFL analyst failed to list Horn as one of the top six cornerbacks in the upcoming draft.
Chris Simms of NBC Sports listed Caleb Farley, Tyson Campbell, Patrick Surtain, Aaron Robinson, Paulson Adebo, and Marco Wilson above Horn on his rankings. Some head scratchers, for sure, as most view Campbell, Robinson, Adebo, and Wilson as day two or three picks. On top of that, three of these six players come from the SEC, with only Surtain receiving the praise and NFL grade that Horn has over the offseason draft process.
Horn brushed off the omission, knowing that he’ll likely be the first or second defensive back off the board in late April. Simms has forgotten more football than most people know, and maybe he sees something in the tape that most folks don’t, but his attempt for attention here fell a bit short considering he also left off possible first round picks Greg Newsome and Asante Samuel.
Time will tell if his predictions come to fruition regarding these prospects’ NFL careers, but it’s obvious that the order in which these prospects come off the board will far from mirror Simms’ rankings.