Jaycee Horn: ‘It would definitely be big to be drafted by the Cowboys’

Jaycee Horn’s draft stock has risen and the standout cornerback mentioned recently that the Cowboys would be a welcomed landing spot.

The anticipation for the 2021 NFL draft is running wild with the three-day event now less than a month away. After a dismal 6-10 campaign last season  haunted by the injury bug, the Dallas Cowboys are looking to the draft to fill out their roster and get back to the top of the NFC East for the first time since 2018.

America’s Team will have plenty of goodies to choose from. The biggest prizes, according to analysts and fans, will be either Florida tight end Kyle Pitts or Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II. However, another SEC stud has had his name thrown into the mix lately, and that’s South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn.

The former Gamecock recently joined the Nosebleed Seats on 105.3 The Fan. He mentioned he’s had some conversations with the Cowboys brass and that Dallas would be a welcomed landing spot for him.

“It would definitely be big to be drafted by the Cowboys,” Horn said. “A team with a lot of history. But anywhere I go, I’ll be happy to suit up for that team.”

Both defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and VP of player personnel Will McClay attended his Pro Day at South Carolina late last month, stamping the organization’s interest in the prospect. Horn is a very physical corner at the line of scrimmage and the catch point. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, he has prototypical size and his excellent ball skills allowed him to register 23 pass breakups on the collegiate level.

According to Pro Football Focus, Horn only allowed eight catches in 239 coverage snaps last season. Also, in 124 man coverage snaps, he gave up only four receptions and forced five incompletions.

He racked up 85 tackles and 17 pass breakups in his first two seasons with the Gamecocks, but last season Horn made a difficult decision. The COVID-19 pandemic affected him directly when several members of his family caught the virus which forced him to opt out of the final three games for the Gamecocks.

In speaking with teams before the draft about his decision, Horn has been very forthcoming and honest, which he mentioned last week.

“I give them the straight up answer,” Horn said, via Gamecock Central. “Going into Ole Miss week, my mom and grandparents are from Mississippi. My mom and my two younger siblings went down a couple weeks early. My two younger siblings caught COVID, my grandparents got it and my aunt, who is considered high risk got it, and ultimately she passed.

“That was the main reason I opted out: getting a chance to spend time with them, with my aunt especially, before I went out for training. After the season with training, you don’t get any time to chill with your family. After I heard the news about my aunt I wanted to spend time with my family before moving on to the next stage of my life.”

That next stage for Horn could be playing under the bright lights of AT&T Stadium, especially if the aforementioned Pitts and Surtain are off the board.

Readers can check out Cowboys Wire’s in-depth scouting report of Horn here.

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