CB, South Carolina
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 205 lbs
Class: Junior
We recently had the surprising news that South Carolina’s cornerback Jaycee Horn would be opting out of the final three games of the season and declaring for the NFL Draft. Horn has been one of the biggest risers on my 2020 Big Board and looks like a potential first round pick.
Strengths
Horn possesses the ideal blend of size and length that you want to see from a cornerback prospect. He’s big enough to match up with any type of receiver and isn’t going to be bullied downfield. He has shown that he is comfortable playing press coverage, with great hands to disrupt receivers and reroute them downfield. This physicality and ability to go one-on-one on the boundary are both traits that project well to the NFL.
His strength is clearly in man coverage, but he has shown that he is more than comfortable with zone responsibilities. He showcases good football intelligence and is excellent at undercutting routes, making the most of his short area agility.
Horn excels at the catch point has been productive throughout his three years as a starter with South Carolina. On 124 career targets he has racked up 23 forced incompletions. This season he had seven in a single game against Auburn. He dominated in that game, allowing just two receptions on 10 targets. His 2020 tape in general was excellent, with 33.3 completion percentage allowed the best amongst all SEC cornerbacks. His 54.9 passer rating when targeted ranked second behind Eric Stokes.
Weaknesses
There are two concerns with Horn as a prospect. The first, and biggest issue, is how grabby he gets downfield. He has been flagged a number of times for pass interference and this will get worse in the NFL once he has to account for illegal contact penalties. There will always be an element of this thanks to his aggressive style of play, but he will need to clean this up if he wants to be successful at the next level.
The other issue is his tackling. He struggles to wrap up and his technique isn’t great. He has 24 missed tackles on 114 attempts and you can’t afford to have a player who is that kind of liability tackling in space.
Like a lot of big and phsyical corners, Horn has tended to struggle when facing quick and shifty receivers. He is a good athlete but doesn’t have the elite speed to stick with these kind of players downfield and his tight hips can impede his change of direction.
Bottom Line
Horn is certainly not the finished article at cornerback, but he has the traits you want to see from a college prospect. His ability to play sticky man coverage will be prized at the next level, and whilst he might not get a tonne of picks he is productive at the catch point. If he can clean up his tackling and grabby tendencies then he has huge upside.
Big Board Rank: #28
Positional Rank: #4
