The South Carolina football program saw four former players selected in this past NFL Draft, three of which played on the defensive side of the ball. Jaycee Horn became the first defender off the board, going to the Carolina Panthers with the eighth overall pick. Teammates Ernest Jones, Israel Mukuamu, and Shi Smith were taken in subsequent rounds.
Those four players have since been participating with their new professional organizations as they vie for playing time in their respective rookie campaigns. The start of the NFL season is just a month away.
Where does each player stand on their individual depth chart with the opener creeping closer? Let’s take a look at the unofficial rosters in the midst of preseason.
Horn was a first-round pick for the Panthers last April, and it looks like he’s already locking in a starting role. That’s nothing new to the talented cornerback, who became a year one starter for the South Carolina secondary as a freshman.
Horn will flank the right side of the field while Donte Jackson is listed as the starter on the left side. The Panthers have yet to play a preseason game this Fall, but they do have a matchup with Indianapolis scheduled this weekend. Maybe we’ll get our first glimpses of Horn in a Carolina uniform on Sunday.
Jones has been the Gamecocks’ leading tackler each of the last two seasons, and he racked up 199 total takedowns between 2018 and 2020. That production was good enough to land him a third-round selection from the Los Angeles Rams.
Jones currently sits at third on the depth chart, and he projects to play at one of the middle linebacker spots. Troy Reeder and Travin Howard are ranked ahead of him at the moment. Los Angeles will take on the Chargers tonight, and Jones should see plenty of action in the middle of the Rams’ defense.
Smith could be one of the steals of the draft, coming off the board late. The sixth-round selection was the Gamecocks’ leading receiver last season, and he’s looking to make a big impact for the Panthers as a rookie.
He has some work to do to move up the depth chart, where he currently sits at third-string. The Panthers possess a very talented group of pass catchers, but Smith will certainly have an opportunity to make an impact in the slot. He’s listed as being behind DJ Moore and Terrace Marshall, Jr.
Mukuamu was the final Gamecock taken in the 2021 draft, going in the sixth round to the Dallas Cowboys. A cornerback for the majority of his time in Columbia, it looks as though he’ll move to the back end of the secondary in Dallas. The Cowboys have him listed as the team’s third-string strong safety.
A ballhawking defender, Mukuamu intercepted seven passes in just 22 games of action with the Gamecocks. He got his first look in preseason action during the Hall of Fame game against the Steelers, where the rookie tallied three tackles and broke up a pass. At the moment, he’s listed behind starter Donovan Wilson and reserve Jayron Kearse.
Keep an eye on preseason action to track the progression of these players up the depth chart. A few could make major contributions in year one.