Steelers Scouting Profile: Jaycee Horn is a must draft at 24

Horn’s Pros

The first thing that pops out on tape for Horn is how aggressive he is in man coverage, especially in press-man coverage. During his best game last year, against Auburn, it was impressive to see him sticking to the receivers he was tasked to cover. It seemed like press was the best for him, as he could throw his body weight around at the line and then use his athleticism to make up for any ground lost early on.

Considering the Steelers’ defense has switched from a zone-heavy scheme to one that relies more on man defense, this is a huge plus for Horn as a prospect. While his zone coverage was fine, he is a player that would thrive in the defense that this team utilizes. While not as dominant as his Auburn tape, both the LSU and Texas A&M film showed a lot of positive traits when it came to man coverage. Considering how athletic he is mixed in with his talent in coverage, it would be surprising for Horn to flop as a prospect.

Finally, and this isn’t often that I can say this, but Horn’s speed and athleticism really do show up on tape. To be a successful press cornerback, you need both the coverage ability and natural speed to keep up with receivers. Horn did just that, and he did it against receivers that were timed running in the 4.3’s like him. He is not just an athlete when getting tested, he is an athlete while actually playing.