Revisiting the Panthers’ Pro Bowl Corner: A Season That Defined Carolina’s Defense
Jaycee Horn is playing excellent defense this year and anchoring both the secondary and the defense. There was never any doubt about Horn's talent and potential, but he has unfortunately been injured in every season of his career, including this one. At the same time, this year wasn’t so much an injury as the result of the NFL’s revamped concussion protocol. Once a player enters the protocol, they will likely miss at least one game. Despite his injury history, the Panthers took the risk and rewarded Horn with one of the most significant cornerback contracts in the league. Now the Panthers are reaping the benefits of investing in their young talent.
The former Gamecock is having arguably the best season of his career this year. Out of 453 coverage snaps, Horn has only been targeted 55 times. One side of the field is a no-fly zone every game. Of those 55 targets, Horn has only allowed 32 receptions, 497 yards, and six touchdowns. To top off his dominance is five interceptions. The amount of pressure that Horn exudes is felt across the field on every play. Horn’s play allows the Panthers' defense to hone in on their weaknesses, resulting in the Panthers becoming a top 10 defensive unit.
Ejiro Evero has done a phenomenal job at revamping the defense. Coming off last year’s disastrous defensive year, this year has been an almost complete turnaround. The Panthers' defense plays mostly in nickel formation, with a strong emphasis on zone play. Evero’s scheme doesn’t work with a bad secondary. The secondary is needed for the front seven to bring pressure. In the last few weeks, we can see Evero’s scheme come to life at its full potential. In Week 15, the Panthers put up a season-high five sacks, and in Week 16, they continued the trend with two sacks.
You won’t always be able to see what Horn does for the Panthers’ defense. As is the nature of the cornerback position, sometimes you give up big plays. In Week 10, despite playing good coverage, Horn tripped looking back at the ball, resulting in a splash play touchdown. When you see a play like that, you probably think the DB is either not good or the receiver is just that good. The reality is that both statements can be true. It doesn’t help that Horn isn’t highly targeted, so the camera isn’t always on him. All this is to say that Horn is a top five corner in the league and is worth every cent the Panthers paid him. As the season wraps up and the Panthers are prepared to win the NFC South, it’s clear that Horn is the future for Carolina’s defense.
