Miles
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- Mar 18, 2019
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A day after evaluating prospects at Alabama's pro day, the Broncos continued their scouting work at the University of South Carolina on Wednesday.
General Manager George Paton and Defensive Backs Coach Christian Parker were among the Broncos' representatives in attendance for the Gamecocks' pro day, which featured several top prospects.
Cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu, offensive lineman Sadarius Hutercherson and wide receiver Shi Smith were among the top prospects expected to participate.
Horn, whom NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah rated as the 23rd-best overall player in this year's draft, is widely considered to be one of the top cornerback prospects in this year's draft.
Before his workout, Horn said he believes he's not only the top cornerback in the class, but also the top defensive player in the 2021 draft. Horn said his versatility, size, speed, athleticism and experience playing against different types of receivers have earned him that title. And while most experts have Horn ranked behind Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II, Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley and several other defensive players, Horn said he's not concerned with the expert rankings.
"People don't realize it's just a draft," Horn said Tuesday. "You've still got to go play football after this. It don't bother me too much. I'm not saying I'm the best defensive player in the draft [as] a statement to get teams to be like, 'Oooh, he's got good confidence.' I actually feel that way. So no matter if I'm first round, second round, undrafted — when I step on the field, I'm going to show that. In a couple years, we'll all get to see. Experts are wrong all the time. We'll see."
Horn bettered Surtain's pro day numbers, as the South Carolina product posted 19 bench press reps, a 41.5-inch vertical jump, an 11-foot-1 broad jump and a 4.39-second 40-yard dash.
It's possible those numbers — combined with recent news of Farley undergoing surgery — could put Horn into the conversation as the No. 1 cornerback.
"Horn is a big, physical cornerback with plenty of speed and instincts," Jeremiah wrote in his evaluation. "He's physical with his hands to consistently re-route in press coverage. He is fluid when he opens up and can run/stay in phase with vertical routes. His short-area quickness is good for a big cornerback. However, he has some bad habits to break in off coverage. He catches and grabs too much. He will draw a lot of flags at the next level if that doesn't get cleaned up. He does do a good job of locating and playing the ball downfield. He has outstanding hands to finish with the ball. He is more than willing in run support (see: huge hit versus Auburn). Overall, Horn needs to play with more confidence from off coverage (to avoid panicking and grabbing), but he has the skills to excel right away as a press-man cornerback."
Horn, who is the son of former Pro Bowl wide receiver Joe Horn, ranked in the top 10 in passes defensed in the SEC in both 2019 and 2020. He recorded two forced fumbles in 2019 before adding two interceptions in 2020.