The Dallas Cowboys brass had a busy couple of days with a focus on collegiate cornerbacks available in April’s draft. Following their attendance at Alabama’s Pro Day to check out Patrick Surtain II, vice president of personnel Will McClay and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn made their way to South Carolina for the Gamecocks’.
The center of attention? First-round prospect Jaycee Horn, and he didn’t disappoint, slightly outperforming Surtain’s metrics across the board.
WE GOT OURSELVES A BATTLE HERE FOLKS
Surtain: 6020 208 32 1/2″ arms 39″ vert 131″ broad 4.42
Horn: 6006 205 33″ arms 41.5″ vert 133″ broad 4.39
Oh and they both have realy good tape if you care about the football part https://t.co/w4vR5D5qDk
— Jeff Cavanaugh (@JC1053) March 24, 2021
With the Cowboys picking at No. 10 there is no doubt a dynamic player will be available. Talk has been strong players such as Surtain, Florida TE Kyle Pitts, Oregon offensive lineman Penei Sewell or Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater would been in contention for the team. Horn however has put a star next to his name with excellent numbers to support his aggressive nature on film. He only had to run the 40 once after three different timers clocked his speed at 4.39.
I’ve looked at 3 different clocks and all three had 4.39 for Jaycee Horn. He’s not running again. Obviously. pic.twitter.com/nL3xMtNSny
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) March 24, 2021
Horn also proved his ability to rise up to the occasion with a 41.5 vertical jump.
.@GamecockFB CB Jaycee Horn got 🆙 with a 41.5″u vertical! (via @JamesPalmerTV) pic.twitter.com/w1NF08SN7j
— NFL (@NFL) March 24, 2021
Horn is not an unfamiliar name in the NFL. Joe Horn, Jaycee’s father, most notability played for the Saints as a wide receiver.
His athleticism is apparent in his film. Against the Auburn Tigers, Horn had three tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups. The game itself earned him the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC Defensive Player of the Week.
Jaycee Horn’s game vs. Auburn is one of the most fun cornerback tapes you will ever watch. pic.twitter.com/8fmSbdnWpM
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 11, 2021
That performance was his best, but top performances was hardly a one time occurrence as he notched two interceptions and six pass deflections on the year, with 23 pass breakups over his three seasons.
As the battle for CB1 rotates Horn in for the surgery-scheduled Caleb Farley, the intrigue around the draft will only grow from this point forward. The Cowboys’ top pick seems to be turning into quite the conversation with so many athletic players proving their tapes on pro days.
