South Carolina corner could be Arizona Cardinals top pick

For the past 10 NFL campaigns, the Arizona Cardinals have had a fixture at the cornerback position. Patrick Peterson, an eight-time Pro Bowler, will go down as one of the greatest cover guys in franchise history. There’s a chance, however, that Peterson’s time with the Cardinals may be coming to an end.

With the 30-year old’s impending free agency now staring them in the face, Arizona’s front office may have to start planning for life without Peterson. One option for replacing the defensive stalwart could come out of this coming April’s NFL Draft. The Cards hold the first round’s 16th-overall selection, and there’s a particular corner who’s already being mentioned as a possibility for Vance Joseph‘s defensive unit.

Jaycee Horn, a junior from the University of South Carolina, is being linked to the Cardinals in the preliminary installment of the various mock drafts. The 21-year old has the size (6’1,205) and length that the organization has always coveted in their cornerbacks. Could a union between the Cards and Horn actually take place when the draft’s opening round gets underway on April 29th?

As a freshman in 2018, Horn recorded 45 tackles, eight passes defensed and two sacks for the Gamecocks. A year later, as a sophomore, the defensive back registered 40 tackles, nine pass breakups and a sack. And then came Horn’s slightly controversial junior campaign.

After head coach Will Muschamp was dismissed in November, Horn elected to sit out the final three games of South Carolina’s 2020 schedule. “Since I was seven years old, I’ve always dreamed of playing professional football,” the youngster stated during his announcement. “After much thought, I have decided to forgo the rest of the season and prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.”

Horn played well in the seven contests he appeared in for the Gamecocks this past fall. The cornerback contributed 16 tackles, six passes defensed and the first two interceptions of his college career versus the Auburn Tigers. Not a bad audition for Arizona, and for any other club that may be thinking about drafting the talented Horn this coming spring.