Carolina Panthers Select CB Jaycee Horn with the #8 Overall Pick

Source: Joe Robbins / Getty

The Carolina Panthers filled an immediate need with their first selection of the 2021 NFL Draft, selecting former South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn with the eighth overall pick.

Horn made significant strides during the offseason with his measurables at South Carolina’s pro day, surpassing both Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley and Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II as the first cornerback off the board.

Panthers Head Coach Matt Rhule has been on record saying he likes big, physical corners with a lot of range, and with a 6-1, 205-pound frame fits that mold like a glove.

The pick didn’t come without scrutiny, however, as Carolina eschewed a chance to take QB Justin Fields, who surprisingly remained on the board with the Panthers on the clock. Given the pass on Fields, Carolina will move forward with newly acquired QB Sam Darnold as their starter heading into 2021.

ALSO READ: Jacksonville Jaguars select Former Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence as #1 Overall Pick

ALSO READ: 2021 NFL draft tracker – Every first round pick 1-32

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