Jaycee Horn as the matchup eraser
Jaycee Horn could be that player for Staley in the years ahead. Horn first burst onto the scene for the Gamecocks in 2018, where Pro Football Focus charted him with 330 snaps in the slot as opposed to just 181 on the outside. But in the two seasons since Horn has operated primarily on the outside, seeing 342 boundary snaps this season and just 71 on the inside.
But when you see how South Carolina used him, and who they used him against, you can see how he could be used by Staley next season in the role he carved out for Ramsey. Horn’s games against Florida and Mississippi are a fascinating study, as you will see him matched up against both Kyle Pitts all over the field, and then working against Elijah Moore, the shifty slot option.
Take this play against Pitts and the Gators:
These are two first-round picks battling it out, and no I don’t mean Kyle Trask. The Gators complete the downfield throw but you can see how — and why — the offense needs to be perfect to execute on this snap. Horn is so patient off the line even in press technique, and he has the strength to ride Pitts into the boundary. Only a perfectly-placed and timed throw enables the completion.
Later in the game Pitts caught a touchdown on a slant route in the red zone, operating away from Horn, and it seemed after that play the South Carolina coaches gave Horn a simple assignment: Follow #84. Here you’ll see Horn track Pitts across the field on a Mesh concept:
Then later in the game here is Horn showing his physical style of play against Pitts as the tight end tries to run a deep pivot route:
As we saw on the earlier completion downfield, the offense has to be perfect here to connect on this play. That is because of how Horn is so physical on the route, particularly at the top of Pitts’ break. This time the offense is not perfect and the pass falls incomplete.
Spinning ahead to the Mississippi game, it is hard to think of two more different receiving options than Yeobah and Moore. But here you see Horn aligned in press technique over the tight end to cover a slant route:
Then later in the game you see him matched up against Moore, who might have put himself in first-round contention with a tremendous pro day:
What I love about this play is again the patience from Horn. Moore throws the kitchen sink at him, with a bevy of stutter-steps and hesitation moves, but the cornerback does not bite. He stays patient in his press alignment and does not fire his hands early, so when Moore finally commits to the slant route Horn can match him easily.
Now this is not a direct, one-to-one comparison between Horn and Ramsey. This is more about scheme and usage. Staley’s defense last season with the Rams needed a player like Ramsey to erase potential mismatches, and the varied skillset of Ramsey made him perfect for that role. Watching Horn you can see how the South Carolina coaches used him in a similar manner, which could make Horn the perfect option for Staley’s Chargers defense in 2021. They have the safeties in place, and the pressure player up front in Joey Bosa. Chris Harris Jr. might be the perfect slot defender for this team generally, and with Horn, they might have the Swiss army coverage player like Ramsey, who can be used inside or outside, against any type of receiver or tight end.
That’s why I’ve got Horn slotted to the Chargers in a recent mock draft, and why I’ll be very curious to see if Staley indeed goes down this road.