South Carolina football: Chris Simms rips Jaycee Horn ahead of draft day

Chris Simms has concerns about South Carolina football’s Jaycee Horn.

The NFL Draft is just one day away, and there’s one Gamecock that’s sure to hear his name called in tomorrow’s first round of picks. Cornerback Jaycee Horn has been widely considered one of the top three defensive backs coming from the college ranks, and he’s had the stats to back it up.

Having gone up against some of the nation’s top pass catchers, Horn held his own, locking down a number of future NFLers. He was rated by Pro Football Focus as having the lowest completion rate among SEC corners in 2020, earned Defensive Player of the Week honors with a two-pick performance against Auburn, and was named second-team all-conference following season’s end.

While most are high on Horn’s abilities and potential, one analyst doesn’t believe that he’ll excel at the NFL level. Chris Simms, a former quarterback and current NBC analyst, has his concerns with Horn’s game. And it’s not the first time he’s voiced them to the public.

Earlier this month, Simms listed his top six corners for the upcoming draft, with Horn’s name inexplicably missing. This week, he’d dive deeper into that notion that the South Carolina defender isn’t deserving of a first-round grade, and that he, personally, wouldn’t touch the cornerback if he had a top 20 pick.

"“I’m not the biggest Jaycee Horn fan individually. Listen, I think he’s a good player. Do I sit here and think he’s a top 20 pick? For my money, no, I do not… Jaycee Horn is a big, physical guy, who, yes, can jam you at the line of scrimmage but I worry about his ability to stay with the faster, quick receivers in football… I do think he’s a holder, a pass interference penalty waiting to happen.”"

It’s an interesting take, as many believe Horn to be the draft’s best press coverage defender. Yes, that includes jamming receivers off the line, which Simms notes as an asset for Horn, but it also includes his keeping up with opposing pass catchers in man-to-man coverage. Simms’ knock that he doesn’t have top end speed was debunked after a Combine performance that saw Horn run a sub-4.40 40-yard dash.

The analyst may have a point with the pass interference calls, mostly due to Horn’s physicality in coverage, but his belief that he’s not a top 20 prospect seems suspect. And despite that belief, Simms still lists Horn as defensive back as being the No. 12 pick in tomorrow’s draft, going to Philadelphia.

"“But having said all that… he does make sense for the defensive system you will run now with the Philadelphia Eagles… And, hey, maybe I’m wrong about the guy. I know there’s a lot of people who really, really love him and like everything he brings to the table. So I hope he does prove me wrong.”"

Time will tell whether or not Simms’ evaluation of the former Gamecock comes to fruition, but we do know that Horn’s path to the NFL will begin tomorrow night, as he’s likely to be a top 15 selection. Stay tuned to Garnet and Cocky tomorrow night to see where the talented defender lands.