NFL.com's Analytics-based Mock Draft Pairs Colts with South Carolina DB Jaycee Horn
At this point in the NFL Draft cycle, it can become exhausting to track mock draft after mock draft to see who each analyst projects your favorite team to pick in the first round come the end of April.
NFL.com's Cynthia Frelund takes an interesting angle on her mock drafts, relying heavily on analytics to drive her picks. Granted, those analytics can lead to some wonky picks, like Michigan EDGE defender Kwity Paye heading to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 4 overall, or North Dakota State's Trey Lance falling all the way to No. 15 to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
However, Frelund nailed the Indianapolis Colts' pick at No. 21, pairing Chris Ballard, Frank Reich, Matt Eberflus and Co. with standout South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn, potentially plugging a glaring hole at cornerback for the blue and white with Xavier Rhodes a free agent and youngster Rock Ya-Sin struggling overall.
Here's what Frelund had to say about the Horn pairing with the Colts at No. 21 overall.
"PFF shows that Horn allowed just eight catches on 24 targets for 116 yards in seven games in 2020."
At face value, those are some pretty darn impressive numbers for a cornerback in a pass-happy conference like the SEC.
Horn, the son of New Orleans Saints team Hall of Famer Joe Horn, has all the attributes a team looks for in a man coverage corner in today's game. He has the size (6'1", 200 lbs) and physicality to thrive on an island and set the tone, much like a younger Xavier Rhodes.
Though the Colts would probably be better suited taking a left tackle or trading out of the No. 21 pick, landing a piece like Horn could play well within the division against wide receivers DJ Chark and AJ Brown for years to come.
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