Tag: Jaycee Horn

2021 NFL mock draft: Round 1

The first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is a no-brainer, but from there all bets are off.

Here’s my first 2021 NFL mock draft. I tend not to project trades, and this year is no different — at least for now. The draft process is quite different this year, most notably without a scouting combine, so collegiate pro days will be more valuable than in recent years. Also valuable, in-game data retrieved from chips embedded into equipment.

Anyway, we’ll be unveiling more mock drafts than ever before this year, so be sure to check back with our 2021 NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of our offerings.

2021 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

  • The New York Jets’ No. 2 pick … I’m not convinced they’re done with Sam Darnold, and putting more weapons around him will help see what he can bring to the table. He’s only 23, and Zach Wilson is far from a sure thing. I can envision Wilson being the pick and Darnold remaining on the roster, but for a few reasons (durability questions, level of competition, overrated QB class), I’m not nearly as high on Wilson as others. This pick is extremely fluid.
  • A trade is absolutely in play, and Carolina jumps out as one of the most viable partners. The Panthers could secure Wilson, while New York then moves back just a handful of spots and picks up multiple picks. It would then allow the Jets to spend a more palatable No. 8 overall pick on a receiver and build around Darnold.
  • That being said, it makes the Miami pick at No. 3 all that much harder to project. I’m not sold on DeVonta Smith being the second-best receiver, let alone the second one chosen, and this pick almost certainly becomes Ja’Marr Chase if Wilson is the Jets’ No. 2 overall selection.
  • Several situations that appear to be obvious directions for teams to turn don’t necessarily compute for me. I’m not saying Chicago, New Orleans, New England and/or Washington won’t add a quarterback in Round 1, but I’m not seeing the scenarios playing out favorably.
  • Free agency opens March 17, and the player movement will undoubtedly create cause for an update after some of the dust settles.

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Pick
 Team
Pos
 Player School
1
 Jacksonville Jaguars
QB
 Trevor Lawrence Clemson
2
 New York Jets
WR
 Ja’Marr Chase LSU
3
 Miami Dolphins (from HOU)
WR
 DeVonta Smith Alabama
4
 Atlanta Falcons
QB
 Zach Wilson BYU
5
 Cincinnati Bengals
OT
 Penei Sewell Oregon
6
 Philadelphia Eagles
TE
 Kyle Pitts Florida
7
 Detroit Lions
WR
 Jaylen Waddle Alabama
8
 Carolina Panthers
QB
 Trey Lance North Dakota State
9
 Denver Broncos
QB
 Justin Fields Ohio State
10
 Dallas Cowboys
CB
 Caleb Farley Virginia Tech
11
 New York Giants
EDGE
 Gregory Rosseau Miami (Fla.)
12
 San Francisco 49ers
CB
 Patrick Surtain II Alabama
13
 Los Angeles Chargers
OT
 Rashawn Slater Northwestern
14
 Minnesota Vikings
OG
 Alijah Vera-Tucker USC
15
 New England Patriots
LB
 Micah Parsons Penn State
16
 Arizona Cardinals
LB
 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Notre Dame
17
 Las Vegas Raiders
EDGE
 Jaelen Phillips Miami (Fla.)
18
 Miami Dolphins
RB
 Najee Harris Alabama
19
 Washington Football Team
WR
 Kadarius Toney Florida
20
 Chicago Bears
OL
 Teven Jenkins Oklahoma State
21
 Indianapolis Colts
OT
 Christian Darrisaw Virginia Tech
22
 Tennessee Titans
EDGE
 Kwity Paye Michigan
23
 New York Jets (from SEA)
EDGE
 Zaven Collins Tulsa
24
 Pittsburgh Steelers
OT
 Jalen Mayfield Michigan
25
 Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
DE
 Christian Barmore Alabama
26
 Cleveland Browns
CB
 Jaycee Horn South Carolina
27
 Baltimore Ravens
EDGE
 Ronnie Perkins Oklahoma
28
 New Orleans Saints
EDGE
 Joe Tryon Washington
29
 Green Bay Packers
DL
 Levi Onwuzurike Washington
30
 Buffalo Bills
EDGE
 Azeez Ojulari Georgia
31
 Kansas City Chiefs
OG/C
 Landon Dickerson Alabama
32
 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
LB
 Nick Bolton Missouri

It’s time to see Northwestern’s Greg Newsome as a first-round cornerback

Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome got national attention at his pro day, but the tape shows a player who’s been a first-round talent.

Through the first part of the 2021 pre-draft analysis process, there have been four cornerbacks generally regarded as first-round talents: Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, and Florida State’s Asante Samuel Jr. All great players for different reasons, and all first-round talents, but it’s time to add another name to the list. That name belongs to Greg Newsome of Northwestern, who blew it up at his pro day on Tuesday and finally started to get a fraction of the national attention his game deserves.

Rashawn Slater, Greg Newsome solidify first-round status at Northwestern’s pro day

Northwestern has never been a powerhouse program when it comes to feeding talent to the NFL — there have been just five first-round picks in the school’s history — but there are two legitimate first-round Wildcats in the 2021 class. Offensive tackle Rashawn Slater is a slam-dunk high first-round pick, and Newsome’s tape is just as impressive in its own way as Slater’s.

The stats don’t lie, either. In 2020, Newsome posted the lowest opponent quarterback rating allowed of any cornerback in the 2021 draft class — 31.7 — by allowing just 12 completions on 34 targets for 93 yards, 49 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, and one interception. He allowed seven catches against Purdue on 14 targets… for just 59 yards. Outside of that, he wasn’t targeted at all in his last three collegiate games, against Michigan State, Illinois, and in the B1G Championship game against Ohio State. Newsome left that final game in the first half with a groin injury and eschewed the Citrus Bowl game against Auburn to declare for the 2021 draft, but it was still interesting that the Buckeyes refused to throw Newsome’s way on his 17 coverage snaps.

This was Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields’ worst game as a starter — the one people automatically bring up when they talk about his dings as a player. Fields completed 12 of 27 passes for 114 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, and things might have been even worse had Newsome been a target. It’s also where people may have started to come up with the (mostly) erroneous assumption that Fields is a one-read quarterback, because Newsome was playing 10 yards off to Fields’ back side a lot of the time, and receiver Jameson Williams had openings Fields didn’t see with curls, comebacks, and outs underneath.

But when Newsome did engage to Fields’ front side, as he did on this red zone play in the first quarter against receiver Garrett Wilson, Fields quickly realized that he was better off running the ball.

That touchdown was negated by a holding call, and on the next play, Newsome was back on Fields’ back side. Now, it’s okay to throw to the front side with a quick swing pass to running back Trey Sermon.

But it’s as an intermediate and deep eraser that Newsome shines as well or better than any other cornerback in this class. Per Pro Football Focus, against throws of 10-19 air yards in 2020, Newsome allowed just one reception on eight targets and an opponent passer rating of 0.0. Against throws of 20 or more air yards, Newsome was targeted seven times and didn’t allow a single catch. Whether in press or off coverage, he’s going to get sticky with his receiver throughout the route, and life will be very tough for the opposing quarterback when he decides to grip it and rip it with Newsome as the barrier.

Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez discovered that very quickly on November 7…

…and Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz experienced an even more unpleasant phenomenon two weeks later when he tried to hit receiver Chimere Dike on a deep sideline route, only to find that Newsome had run Dike’s route better than Dike had. The result? Newsome’s one interception last season. Dike had two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown in this game, but nothing good happened for him when Newsome was on his tail.

“There’s really no secrets,” Newsome told me after his Tuesday pro day drills regarding his knack for deep coverage. “It’s just a mentality. I’m a very confident player. If I eliminate those deep routes, I don’t think a team’s going to beat us. Just knowing that, and knowing where my help’s coming from, knowing that my guy on the other side of the field is doing his job, you know, I just don’t want to let the team down. I just trust in my technique, and work it a lot in practice with our DB coach Mack (Matt MacPherson, the team’s Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs), so credit to him, as well. We focus a lot on playing through the hands, and things like that. I don’t really know if there’s a secret; you’ve just got to go out there, be confident, and be a dog out there.”

Of course, if you want mirror and match in the red zone to eliminate potential touchdowns, Newsome offers that, too. On throws of 1-9 air yards against Newsome, opposing quarterbacks completed just eight of 16 attempts overall. With Newsome, the No-Fly Zone is all over the field.

Would you like to have seen more reps against high-powered passing offenses last season? Sure, but when you isolate the traits of the player, it’s abundantly clear that when analysts and teams are looking at cornerbacks with first-round talent, Greg Newsome has absolutely shoved his way into the conversation.

The best draft prospect cornerbacks in every type of coverage

In the interest of preventing schematic mismatches from the NCAA to the NFL, here are the best draft cornerbacks in every type of coverage.

When you’re looking to add a cornerback to your roster via free agency, trade, or the draft, you had better consider scheme fit and skill sets, or you’re basically hurling free agent money, the players and/or picks you gave up in a trade,  and/or draft capital, right out the window.

Negative examples abound, but let’s go with former Chargers and Titans cornerback Desmond King, an impending free agent in the 2021 league year.

Before the November trade that sent him from Los Angeles to Tennessee, King had allowed 10 receptions on 15 targets for 60 yards, 47 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 74.3. With the Titans, King allowed 27 catches on 39 targets for 312 yards, 192 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 119.8.

The Titans, who allowed a league-high 23 touchdowns and grabbed just one interception when playing man coverage per Sports Info Solutions, found themselves getting splattered all season on defense due to a negligible pass rush and very little idea of how to best use their defensive backs.

The Chargers, who allowed 20 touchdowns and had eight interceptions in zone coverage, obviously had a better bead on the marriage of personnel and scheme.

When playing zone last season, King allowed 13 catches on 16 targets for 85 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. When playing man last season, King allowed 12 catches on 21 targets for 169 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Sometimes, this isn’t hard.

“He’s a player that we felt like could help us, come in and play DB. He’s been disruptive. He’s an effective blitzer and has done some things,” Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said of King after the Titans acquired him. “From everything that we’ve heard, he’s a player that loves football and is competitive that has played in a number of spots and in the kicking game.”

So… you trade for a guy, you make him play the primary coverages he can’t handle, and now, he’s a free agent. That’s one way to waste a 2021 sixth-round pick.

On the whole, King is an above-average primary slot cornerback who can stay sticky with receivers on short and intermediate routes, and he did cause a lot of incompletions on extended plays. Zone-heavy teams like the Seahawks, Buccaneers, Browns, Panthers, or Giants should definitely give King’s agents a call. Man-heavy teams like the Titans (who should be banned from acquiring zone cornerbacks for at least the next three seasons as penance for what they did to this guy), Saints, Cardinals, Lions, and Dolphins should probably stay away.

Moving to the draft, let’s look at two examples of weird fits from the 2020 season.  Alabama’s Trevon Diggs and Louisiana Tech’s Amik Robertson were two of the NCAA’s most dominant man-coverage cornerbacks in the 2019 season, but each player was selected by zone-heavy teams whose overall defenses resembled car crashes more often than not.

In 2019 for Nick Saban, Diggs allowed seven completions on 23 targets in man coverage for 73 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a preposterous opponent quarterback rating of 5.03. But Stefon Diggs’ younger brother was unfortunately selected with the 51st overall pick in the second round by the Cowboys, who had just hired defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, and Nolan was preparing to do a heavy waste job on a defense that had resided in the middle of the pack before his arrival.

Why is the Cowboys’ defense so bad? It’s complicated.

When Diggs operated in coverages that allowed him to use his instincts, aggressiveness, and athleticism, he was great. When he was presented with Nolan’s overcomplicated muck… not so much. Dallas played 364 of their 512 pass defense snaps in zone coverage, and Diggs allowed 45 catches on 76 targets for 650 yards, 198 yards after the catch, six touchdowns, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 96.9. Perhaps Dan Quinn, Dallas’ new defensive coordinator, will give Diggs the right schematic tools to work with, and bring out the best in the player.

Robertson, who tied for the NCAA lead with four picks in man coverage, was selected by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. The Raiders played just 175 of their 579 pass coverage snaps in any iteration of man coverage, and Robertson had just 35 cornerback snaps all season.

In pass coverage, on 28 snaps, Robertson allowed five catches on six targets for 76 yards, 27 yards after the catch, one touchdown, no interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 158.3 — the highest passer rating any NFL quarterback can achieve. Perhaps Gus Bradley, Las Vegas’ new defensive coordinator, will give Robertson the right schematic tools to work with, and bring out the best in the player.

You get the idea.

In any event, this need for the player and the playbook to match — and the repeated examples of teams valuing traits over specific skill sets at one of the NFL’s most crucial positions — had me wondering which draft-eligible cornerbacks were the best in which kinds of coverage. A bit of pre-draft homework NFL teams should be doing as well. Thanks to the Sports Info Solutions database, we can all do just that.

2021 NFL draft film room: South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn

See for yourself what South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn brings to the table as a 2021 NFL draft prospect

As we look ahead to the 2021 NFL draft, it’s time to get acquainted with some of the top prospects in this year’s class.

What does South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn bring to the table? Check out the film and see for yourself:

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Todd McShay’s new mock draft has Cardinals taking CB

Todd McShay has the Arizona Cardinals selecting South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn with the 16th pick of his mock draft.

The Arizona Cardinals’ biggest offseason need after signing J.J. Watt is probably at cornerback. There is a lot of uncertainty looking forward to free agency, so the draft is a big possibility.

In fact, with the 16th pick in the first round, it might be the position that makes the most sense, considering the talent at the position and the dropoff after the first few.

This is why ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Cardinals going with South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn in his latest pre-free agency mock draft.

J.J. Watt and Chandler Jones spell problems for opposing QBs, but who will be in coverage? Both starting corners are primed to hit free agency this month, and the Cardinals’ pass defense was middle-of-the-pack last year. Horn will get his hands on passes, bringing length and instinctive play to the outside. In just seven games in 2020, he broke up six passes and picked off two.

There is no doubting the match of talent for the team. The question is whether they pull the trigger on him, select a pass rusher or one of the two very talented offensive linemen still on the board in McShay’s mock draft — USC guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and Virginia Tech tackle Christian Darrisaw.

Logic says cornerback. Cardinals offensive line coach prefers not to play rookie offensive linemen. They probably will have the entire line mostly figured out in free agency. They have some young talent already on the roster. They can draft linemen who can be developed later on.

The cornerback talent takes a drop after Horn. If they want to potentially have a rookie cornerback who is contributing on defense, the first round is the best bet.

Is it a good pick? Yes. Will he be available with the 16th pick, as starting cornerbacks tend to go quickly in the draft? That’s a different question.

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Colts take CB Jaycee Horn in analytics-based mock draft

Colts go CB in an analytics mock.

While most mock drafts are based off of what analysts hear around the league or believe in their hearts would be the right move for each team, there aren’t a whole lot of analytics-based mocks hitting the streets.

However, Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com released her analytics-based mock draft and it had the Colts taking former South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn with the No. 21 overall pick.

PFF shows that Horn allowed just eight catches on 24 targets for 116 yards in seven games in 2020.

The son of former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn, Jaycee is entering the league as a potential first-round pick. He has the required size and length to work on the boundary while holding the mentality necessary for the Colts defense.

Getting the stamp of approval in Zach Hicks’ Build-A-Ballard series at Stampede Blue, here’s what Hicks had to say about the former Gamecock:

A bit more on the higher end of the class, every time I watch Jaycee Horn, I think of a Chris Ballard cornerback. He may not have been a Senior Bowl guy but he hits every other metric. He possesses solid size and strength as he is a very willing participant in the run game. He is sticky in man coverage and has excellent instincts when the ball is in the air. He may be a bit grabby (I know you all hate that) but there are traits there that can make a top-tier corner in this league. Plus, he has that dog mentality where he is always competing and in the face of receivers. He is my CB1 in this class and fits what the Colts want to do perfectly.

Taking a cornerback at No. 21 may not be in the cards for Ballard, but stranger things have happened. They do have the need at the position. It all comes down to where he winds up on their board.

The mock drafts are typically sending a tackle or an edge rusher to the Colts, but the analytics say Indy should look at the secondary.

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Cardinals go defense early, offense late in new mock draft simulation

Check out the results of this seven-round simulation where they land offensive and defensive help.

We begin our weekly mock draft simulations as we approach the 2021 NFL draft. The purpose of them is to play out different scenarios at the top of the draft, whether it is taking a particular position or making a trade to see how it might make the rest of the draft play out for the Cardinals.

In this first mock draft simulation I ran from The Draft Network, the scenario was the Cardinals taking a cornerback, which is a popular pick in many mocks.

Check the five selections for the Cardinals below.


Cardinals land cornerback in 1st round in new Touchdown Wire mock draft

Jaycee Horn would improve the defense now and in the long-term.

What will the Arizona Cardinals do with the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft in April? We know they can go a number of directions, especially with a number of needs even before free agency.

Based on the prospects and how they are viewed, they could get an offensive lineman, a cornerback, a pass rusher, a receiver or even a running back.

In Doug Farrar’s first mock draft of the season for Touchdown Wire, he has them going a trendy direction — a cornerback.

He has them selecting South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn.

In Kliff Kingsbury’s two seasons as the Cardinals’ head coach, Arizona’s defense has allowed 64 passing touchdowns, and picked off just 17 passes. Patrick Peterson, the longtime legend of Arizona’s secondary, is set to become a free agent, and allowed five touchdowns to three picks in 2020. 2019 second-round cornerback Byron Murphy has allowed 12 touchdowns to just one interception in his brief career. Veteran Dre Kirkpatrick was the only cornerback on the roster who put up a credible performance, and until that changes, it doesn’t matter how dynamic Kingsbury’s offense is — he’s going to be scheming from behind more often than not.

So, maybe they need this guy.

Not only did Horn do that, he’d be a perfect complement to a defense that played the second-most pass defense snaps in man coverage last season (250, behind only New Orleans’ 277). At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Horn has the size, aggressive mentality, and man/match traits to excel in such a defense.

It is the position that makes the most sense, honestly. The question is whether he is a fit. Farrar paints a perfect picture of fit. The Cardinals need a cornerback and get one.

They could also go with a tackle, a receiver or a pass rusher, but an edge rusher might be a low need if they extend Chander Jones and re-sign either Haason Reddick or Markus Golden.

The Cardinals were old at cornerback last season with Peterson, Kirkpatrick and Johnathan Joseph playing alongside Byron Murphy, who enters his third NFL season. Horn would help the defense immediately and for the long-term.

If he is available, it is a great pick.

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Mel Kiper’s new mock draft with trades has Cardinals taking a cornerback

There trades and quarterbacks come off the board quickly, while Arizona still only lands the No. 3 cornerback overall.

There is a new mock draft out from ESPN’s Mel Kiper and it has a twist. For the first time, he included projected trades in his mock draft. Quarterbacks come off the board in a hurry.

That doesn’t really change things for the Arizona Cardinals.

With the 16th pick in the first round, they fill a major need and take South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn.

With longtime star Patrick Peterson likely gone in free agency, corner is a clear void for the Cardinals, who struggled down the stretch last season after starting 5-2. Their defense should get a boost with the return of pass-rusher Chandler Jones from injury, but they need more talent in the secondary. Horn is not a ball hawk, but the instincts are there. He is around the ball more than the stat sheet shows (he had only two interceptions over three seasons at South Carolina). Offensive line and wide receiver are two other positions Arizona could look toward.

Horn is the third cornerback off the board and does fit what the Cardinals need.

If the go with an offensive lineman or a receiver, this mock draft had Florida’s Kadarius Toney available, who is selected with the 20th pick, and lineman Christian Darrisaw out of Virginia Tech. No one would fault them for taking either player.

Pass rushers often connected to the Cardinals in other mock drafts, like Miami’s Gregory Rousseau and Jaelan Phillips and also Michigan’s Kwity Paye, are all available as well.

The Cardinals have no depth at corner at the moment. Assuming Horn is what he is believed to be able to become, it would take care of an immediate need that will continue to be a need down the line.

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Cardinals land CB in 1st round of new mock draft

CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson has the Cardinals going with CB Jaycee Horn out of South Carolina.

It is full-on mock draft season so we will see projections from all over the Internet. The way things now look, cornerback is a popular selection for the Arizona Cardinals with the 16th overall pick in the draft.

In a new mock draft from CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson, the Cardinals land South Carolina corner Jaycee Horn.

Patrick Peterson, Dre Kirkpatrick and Johnathan Joseph will be free agents this spring, and Horn is a physical, athletic playmaking cornerback who would add depth at the position.

It is a major position of need. There is no doubting that. And based on the players still available at No. 16 in this mock draft, the selection makes sense.

A cornerback has a good chance of playing this season. A pass rusher would be able to contribute. An offensive lineman might sit for a year, depending on how things play out in training camp.

Horn feels like a good match, at least early in the draft process.

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