Carolina Panthers defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley knows a special cornerback when he sees one—and it’s safe to say that he sees one in Jaycee Horn.
Cooley spoke with reporters following Thursday’s practice, and was asked about the difference between having and not having Horn on the field.
“I think with Jaycee, you get the luxury of somebody they don’t wanna throw the ball at,” Cooley said. “And we’ve had a certain circumstance like that in L.A. with Jalen [Ramsey]. And then when they do throw the ball, he’s probably gonna make them pay.”
Before joining the Panthers in 2023, Cooley spent three years with the Los Angeles Rams—where he served as their defensive quality control coach, assistant secondary coach and defensive backs coach. He’d cross paths with Ramsey, who was a two-time First-team All-Pro member and two-time Pro Bowl selection while Cooley was on staff.
Obviously, there’s quite a ways to go for Horn to reach that kind of status. The 2021 eighth overall pick certainly has the talent, but he hasn’t had the availability—as he’s missed 29 of a possible 51 games in the NFL due to injury.
And that’s something Cooley and the Panthers hope to see a lot less of.
“Without him, it’s just a bunch of guys that get an opportunity to take advantage of their opps,” he added. “We’ve experienced that last year. And it’s just like, the guy that can make the most plays on the ball will play. But we definitely prefer to have him.”
