Availability is oftentimes the best ability in the NFL. And unfortunately for Jaycee Horn, his ability in that particular category hasn’t measured up well.
That was reflected in Pro Football Focus’ rankings of the NFL’s top cornerbacks entering the 2024 campaign. Senior analyst John Kosko positions the oft-injured Horn down at No. 30, a pretty disappointing number for the standout defender.
Kosko writes:
If Horn can stay healthy, he has the potential to be a top-10 cornerback in the NFL. His 80.3 coverage grade is 15th at the position over the past two years, and his 0.83 yards per coverage snap ranks tied for eighth.
The 2021 eighth overall pick has played in just 22 of a possible 51 games for the Panthers in his three pro seasons. Most recently, Horn sat out for 10 games in 2023 after injuring his hamstring in the regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
But now that he’s healthy enough to participate in offseason activities, the Panthers are extremely glad to have him.
“I think having Jaycee—like, a player like that—he affects a lot of people around him,” defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley said on Tuesday. “So it allows us to put more pressure on him, to take away one side of the field and it allows other guys to grow within a role that we can see express. You don’t have a lot of guys that are blessed with what he has in his body and if he’s available, he’s one of the best.”
Hopefully for Carolina, he remains available.
