First rounder? Coming off hot start, this Gamecock is climbing NFL mock drafts
Coming into the 2020 season, South Carolina football knew it had a couple of likely NFL talents in its secondary in juniors Israel Mukuamu and Jaycee Horn. ESPN’s Todd McShay even projected Mukuamu as a first-round pick in August.
But now that the Gamecocks are halfway through their schedule, it’s Horn that has rocketed up draft boards and into mock first rounds.
After a solid first two seasons at USC that included SEC All-Freshman honors and numerous starts, Horn has emerged a star through five games, highlighted by a two-interception game against Auburn that earned him national player of the week honors.
While Mukuamu has struggled with a groin injury that’s kept him out of the lineup for stretches, Horn has made 13 tackles with six passes defended and two picks. Those six pass breakups tie him for first in the SEC, while his two interceptions have him tied for second in the conference.
And in the latest mock drafts released this week, Horn has been projected to join the likes of Javon Kinlaw, Jadeveon Clowney, Stephon Gilmore and Melvin Ingram as Gamecock defenders that have gone in the first round.
CBS Sports currently projects Horn to go 24th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, noting that he’s “stepped up his play” even more in 2020. Over on 247Sports, Horn is projected to go at No. 29 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sporting News has him going at No. 19 to the Dallas Cowboys, while The Draft Network has him at No. 23 to the Jaguars.
Horn entered the season considered a likely draft pick and one of the top 10 or so cornerbacks in the class. But as The Draft Network’s Trevor Sikkema noted, his performance against Auburn was a breakout moment that “really put him on the map.”
South Carolina has had 14 first-round draft picks in program history, including nine since 2000. If Horn is taken in the first round, it would mark the first time the Gamecocks have had first-round picks in back-to-back years since 2004-2006. He would join Johnathan Joseph, Dunta Robinson and Stephon Gilmore as first-round defensive backs as well.
The 2021 NFL Draft is almost exactly six months away, scheduled from April 29 to May 1. Horn and South Carolina football return from their bye week Nov. 7 to play Texas A&M at home.
This story was originally published October 27, 2020 at 5:55 PM with the headline "First rounder? Coming off hot start, this Gamecock is climbing NFL mock drafts."
