The 2021 NFL Draft takes place April 29-May 1 this year, emanating LIVE from Cleveland, Ohio. As it stands, the Tennessee Titans have one first round draft pick. General manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel currently hold the 22nd overall selection. Over the next few weeks, your boy “Big Natural” Stoney Keeley will be taking a look at some of the prospects who are either rumored to be tied to or who make sense for the Titans. Today, we’re lookin’ at South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn.
Personally, I think you’ve got awfully high hopes if you think there’s even remotely a chance that Jaycee Horn falls to the Titans at #22. This dude is a thoroughbred that could end up being a top 10 pick easily. But, he’s just the kind of player the Titans need at the position – a guy that can come in and start at a position of need right away. He’s 6’1″ and 205 pounds – he has ideal size and length. And at South Carolina, he’s been the model of consistency.
As far as his ability goes, Horn is comfortable in tight man coverage. You watch his tape and he stands out as a good old fashioned pure cornerback. When he’s not locking guys down altogether, he is an agitator in close space, making any catch difficult for his opponent. His speed and athleticism gives him an incredible close radius (is that a term? Did we just make something up on SoBros Network?) – even if he gets turned around, he can recover and close on the ball quickly. Horn has really strong intangible ball skills, too – just knowing when to turn around and how to track the ball. He understands where a quarterback might be trying to place the ball in realtime. Those instincts are things you just can’t teach and coach, and I think that’s ultimately what makes Horn such a valuable player and a potential top 10 pick. The way he’s feisty right off the line, and uses his hands to punch and irritate the shit out of wide receivers reminds me of Malcolm Butler, but he’s much more athletic than Butler. The major criticism I’ve seen about the guy that’s been consistent across several scouts is how grabby he is. There are some concerns about discipline and cutting back on the amount of laundry on the field.
I haven’t watched a lot of film on Patrick Surtain – one, I definitely don’t think he’ll be there for the Titans at #22. Two, I’m an Alabama fan, so I can recall his play pretty well from watching Tide games in the fall. But, watching Horn made me want to really study Surtain to compare the two, because Horn looks like he could easily be the best corner in this draft. He just has that right combination of physical ability, coverage skills, and intangible nuance. He’s a savvy corner, and could very well be the best defensive back in this draft. I won’t argue with you, and hell, once I’m caught up on the position, I might just agree with you. He certainly looks capable of playing in a multiple defensive scheme, being comfortable in man or zone, which is something the Titans strive for. We should be doing cartwheels if the Titans can land this guy in the first round.
Further Reading: Jaycee Horn says it’s a “night-and-day difference” between he and Patrick Surtain
2021 TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS
- Christian Barmore
- Rashod Bateman
- Zaven Collins
- Caleb Farley
- Teven Jenkins
- Greg Newsome
- Kadarius Toney
- Jaylen Waddle
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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