Jaycee Horn knows he needs to earn his ‘Madden’ rating as a rookie

Horn also says he’s not anticipating getting a high “Madden” rating as a rookie.

Jaycee Horn appears to be cut from a different cloth. One look at him next to the other Panthers cornerbacks can tell you that much. A second-generation NFL player, Horn comes to Carolina with high expectations – especially after the team passed on a top quarterback prospect to draft him.

For what it’s worth, Horn seems to be pretty well-grounded for such a young defender. Horn told Darin Gantt that he spent much of his time off from preparing for his pro day by playing video games.

“Played video games… don’t go out much, so I was bored for the most part…”

Horn also says he’s not anticipating getting a high “Madden” rating as a rookie. Here’s what he said, per the team website.

“I know it’s going to be low, so I’m ready to get on the field and hopefully play good enough to improve it.”

Rookies tend to top out at around an 80 overall rating – even the very-best prospects. These days EA Sports adjusts ratings in-season, though. If Horn winds up starting right away (we project he will) he’ll have a chance to boost it sooner rather than later.

Horn offers exceptional man coverage skills and elite athleticism and measurables for his position. Few first-year DBs hit the ground running, but it’s not hard to envision Horn being a quick study.

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