Philadelphia Eagles draft profile: NFL wiz shares thoughts on Jaycee Horn

Everyone knows the Philadelphia Eagles need to upgrade their defense from the line to the secondary. Season after season, the Birds have struggled on the defensive side of the ball, and with the 2021 NFL Draft approaching, they have to identify and land prospects that can change their defensive fortunes.

Of all the issues slowing the Philadelphia Eagles defense down, perhaps none has been a bigger concern than what they’ve gotten from their cornerbacks. It seems like every season the Eagles have rolled out a new combination of defensive backs, each one falling short of expectations on a week-to-week basis.

The great news is general manager Howie Roseman took a big step forward in trading for Darius Slay, which alleviates the problem on one side of the formation. Now, with the draft a little more than two months ahead, Howie and his posse have an opportunity to land a talented prospect to fill the role of the Philadelphia Eagles’ second cornerback on the depth chart.

South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn could boost the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense.

With all of that being said, welcome South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn, the six-foot-one, 205-pound playmaker to the conversation. He’s been blessed with star potential and the ability to be a true difference-maker at the next level.

For some reason, Horn has flown under the radar slightly, until now, but don’t be fooled by the lack of media attention. Horn possesses the ball skills and natural tools that defensive coordinators covet in their cover guys.

A true monster in man-coverage, Horn has the ability and discipline to take away an opposing offense’s top weapon in the passing game. What may be the most impressive about the Gamecock product is his football intelligence. Although he’s an extremely aggressive player, he never seems to misdiagnose an offensive gameplan and put himself or his teammates in a bad spot.

Here’s a take that will interest Philadelphia Eagles fans everywhere.

To get another take on Horn, we at ITI reached out to a producer at NFL Network, Ben Fennell, and asked him his thoughts on the underrated corner. This is what he had to say:

"Prototypical pressman cornerback with proper height, weight, speed for (the) NFL but in combination with a physical play temperament. Borderline too aggressive (ten penalties in his career) but uses his physical style to challenge wideouts in every face (release, stems, catch points). He’s grabby and handy, but I’d rather dial back aggressive players than try to get the passive player to ramp it up. His technique is raw. There are tall pedals, false steps, and eye violations, but he has the natural tools and gifts to be great. NFL comp/style: Aqib Talib."

The Philadelphia Eagles have been in need of an upgrade at the cornerback position for some time now, and adding a player with Jaycee Horns’ ability could go a long way in remedying the issue.

Teaming the 2021 draft prospect with Darius Slay could give the Eagles’ defense a powerful duo of defensive backs, a duo that could boost the Eagles’ defense. If you haven’t had the opportunity to look at Horn’s film, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. You will, more than likely, be delighted with what you see.