The Dallas Cowboys hold the 10th pick in the NFL draft and the speculation about who’s name will be called grows larger by the day. Fans of America’s Team seem to be in a tug-of-war on which direction the Cowboys should go. Some are members of the BPA “Best Player Available” crowd and want them to go with Tight End Kyle Pitts out of Florida. However, with cornerback still being a huge priority with Cowboys, there’s a big contingent that feels that’s the best route.
Names such as Patrick Surtain and Caleb Farley have been mocked to America’s Team as instant upgrades at the cornerback position in Dallas, and nice fits to compliment 2020 second-round pick, Trevon Diggs. However, there’s another cornerback that’s garnering attention as a possible pick in the first round.
As I mentioned almost two weeks ago, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn is a cornerback the Cowboys should consider with the 10th overall pick in April’s NFL draft, and it appears they are doing just that. They have already spoken with him a little, and the former Gamecock plans to meet with the Cowboys after his Pro Day on Wednesday according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.
Horn produced 85 tackles and 17 pass breakups in his first two seasons at South Carolina. 2020 was a bit different for Horn though, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit him close to home with several family members attracting the virus. Horn opted out of the final three games of the season because of it and started to prepare for the NFL draft.
It’s something Horn will have to discuss with every team he meets with before the draft, and on Tuesday, he gave more insight into his decision to cut his 2020 campaign short.
“I give them the straight up answer,” Horn said, via Gamecock Central. “Going into Ole Miss week, my mom and grandparents are from Mississippi. My mom and my two younger siblings went down a couple weeks early. My two younger siblings caught COVID, my grandparents got it and my aunt, who is considered high risk got it, and ultimately she passed.
“That was the main reason I opted out: getting a chance to spend time with them, with my aunt especially, before I went out for training. After the season with training, you don’t get any time to chill with your family. After I heard the news about my aunt I wanted to spend time with my family before moving on to the next stage of my life.”
The potential first-round pick was unwavering on his decision, saying he’d repeat it if he had to.
“I can tell you now if I went back I’d do it again,” Horn said. “I put my family before anything. I feel like my teammates and my coaches know how much I love the game of football. That’s the one time I put my family before the game and if I could go back I’d do it again.”
If Horn is the route the Cowboys choose to go in the first round they’d be getting the best of both worlds. On the field, he’s a physical corner with the ideal size at 6’1 and 205 pounds with excellent ball skills. He’s very good in man coverage and can provide support against the run. Also, with his decision to put his family first last season, he showed that he’s made of the right character which can be very valuable inside an NFL locker room.
It was reported earlier this week that the aforementioned Farley would have a procedure done on his back and won’t work at his Pro Day. This could put Horn’s name right next to Surtain’s as the Cowboy’s top choice with the 10th overall pick, but only time will tell if that’s the case.
