South Carolina football: Jaycee Horn picked eighth in NFL Draft

South Carolina football’s Jaycee Horn becomes 1st rd pick.

The NFL Draft got underway last night with the first round kicking off the three-day event. A few things went according to plan, like the prediction that quarterbacks would be selected with the first three choices. There were also some surprises, though, with one being the fact that South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn was the first defender off the board.

Horn went eighth overall to the hometown Carolina Panthers, becoming the 15th player in program history to earn a first round selection. The defensive back was taken over Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, who was the odds on favorite to be the first corner selected, and Penn State’s Micah Parsons, who had been a projected top 10 choice in many mock drafts.

It was a bit of a shocker to viewers, as most had pegged Horn at the 12th pick to the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Panthers decided that his talents were just too impressive to pass up. They got their guy before the division rival Saints had a chance to trade up, and began a trend that saw three defenders selected between picks eight and 12.

What are the Panthers getting in Horn?

Horn is a shutdown, press man corner, that should contribute immediately. He was all-SEC performer that went up against some of the best receivers in college football, including a few that were also taken in last night’s first round (Pitts, Toney, Waddle, Smith), and he excelled.

In his third and final year with the Gamecocks, Horn tallied his first two career interceptions while holding opposing SEC receivers to the lowest completion total in the conference. He earned National Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance versus Auburn, where he completely locked down star pass catcher Seth Williams, holding the wideout to just a single catch on nine targets.

Where does Horn fit in?

Horn should factor into the defensive back rotation early, and could be an immediate starter. The Panthers’ defensive backfield consists of corner Donte Jackson, second year players Troy Pride Jr. and Stanley Thomas-Oliver III, and new signees AJ Bouye and Rashaan Melvin. Jackson and Bouye were likely penciled in as starters to open the season, but Bouye will be out for the team’s first two games due to a PED suspension. Horn should be able to take full advantage of the absence, possibly cracking the starting lineup, as he looks to make an immediate impact in the Carolina secondary.

The Panthers were in need of defensive help, and they’ve certainly gotten it with the selection of Horn. The first-round pick is best in press coverage, where he’s able to play aggressively and reroute opposing receivers. Carolina is solid in the front seven with players like Brian Burns, Haason Reddick, and Shaq Thompson. Now, they’ve started to shore up the back end of a defense that ranked dead last in the NFC in interceptions last season.