Philadelphia Eagles 2021, three-round mock: Expect something unexpected

The Philadelphia Eagles land the best cornerback in the draft.

Here’s a bold prediction for you if you’re into that type of thing. With both Ja’Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith off of the board, Philly goes with a cornerback at number six, but it isn’t the one most of you are thinking of.

Patrick Surtain and Caleb Farley are the consensus top two cornerbacks by most analysts. Jaycee Horn might be better than both of them though. Like Surtain and Farley, Horn possesses the size (six-foot-one, 205 pounds) to defend the bigger wideouts in the NFL. What separates Horn from other corners is that he is the full package. Surtain, who we mentioned in a previous mock,  needs to work on his deep speed. Farley needs to improve a bit more in zone coverage. Horn can do it all.

As a true freshman, he was the starting nickel corner for South Carolina. Recently, he’s played more press-man on the outside. The 21-year-old does a good job jamming receivers with his outside arm without lunging at them. He has no problem playing physical and then flipping hips to run downfield with receivers. Horn is also fairly impressive when lining up against bunch formations and picking up his man.

Another trait that stands out on film is his quick burst and change of direction when reacting to routes and closing in on the ball. Zone coverage isn’t much of a problem for him either whether it’s playing bail technique or playing the flat. Not only that but Horn is a good leader and communicator on the back end shouting out adjustments to his teammates pre-snap.

With Horn’s instincts, athleticism, physicality, versatility, and competitiveness any NFL team will be lucky to have him. If the Birds land the South Carolina product and line him up opposite of Darius Slay, they will not regret it. Horn could be in the midnight green for a long time if the Eagles take a chance on him.