Bank of America Stadium | Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Stadium | Carolina Panthers
Jaycee Horn, a cornerback for the Carolina Panthers, is experiencing a standout season in 2024. After being hindered by injuries in his early career following his selection as a first-round pick in the 2021 draft, Horn is now on track to play more snaps this year than any previous season.
In the first ten games of the season, Horn has delivered impressive performances. His statistics rank among the best in the league and are the strongest of his four-year NFL career. According to Next Gen Stats, he has allowed only 22 receptions on 48 targets for 289 yards and has been targeted on 16.8% of throws when on the field. His completion percentage allowed stands at 45.8%, placing him fourth in the league behind Calen Bullock, Eric Murray, and Kerby Joseph.
Despite these achievements, Horn maintains that individual stats do not drive him. "I really don't even think about it," he said regarding his low completion percentage allowed. Instead, he focuses on preventing catches and contributing to team success.
Horn's defensive strategy includes playing zone coverage for 76.5% of his snaps and man coverage for 23.5%. He ranks within the Top 15 for yards after catch allowed and holds quarterbacks to three completions on seven targets for passes over 20 air yards.
Through ten games, Horn has accumulated 44 total tackles with two tackles for loss. When he is nearest to the ball, the Panthers' defense boasts a success rate of 60.4%, ranking him among the Top 15 corners in this metric.
Horn's ability to create tight windows for opposing quarterbacks is notable; they face tight conditions when targeting him due to receivers averaging only 2.1 yards of separation against him.
"It's all on the corner to create a tight window," Horn explained about his approach to minimizing receiver separation.
Looking ahead, Horn faces a challenging matchup against Patrick Mahomes and Xavier Worthy from Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday but remains confident with his usual mindset: "You want to be hard to play against... I just try to be on the body."
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