Did Horn's Pro Day make him the Cowboys top choice at cornerback?

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The 2021 NFL draft is drawing near and the Dallas Cowboys are in a prime position to add significant talent to their roster. They possess the 10th overall pick, and many believe that cornerback will be the way the team goes to add another foundational piece at the position opposite 2020 second-round pick Trevon Diggs.

Alabama’s Patrick Surtain and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley have been linked to the Cowboys the most as many deemed them the two best cornerbacks coming out of the collegiate ranks. However, Farley’s stock has changed due to having to undergo back surgery for the second time in a year.

With Farley now essentially out of the running as the Cowboys first-round selection, another cornerback has joined Surtain as a possible pick at 10, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn.

Surtain and Horn recently had their Pro Day’s. The Cowboys had personnel in attendance for both, and to no one’s surprise, they put on quite a show.

Surtain was clocked at 4.46 in the 40-yard dash, produced a 39-inch vertical, and a 10’11” in the broad jump. Impressive, to say the least, but Horn was slightly better. The former Gamecock ran a 4.39 in the 40, posted a 41.5-inch vertical, and 11’1″ in the broad jump.

These numbers are almost mirrored images of each other which pretty much sums up how close they are on film. Surtain understands route concepts very well and is excellent in press coverage. Possess good ball skills that led to 24 pass breakups in college. He can also cover ground in zone coverage and his athleticism allows him to stay with different types of receivers.

Horn is adequate in press and man coverage. Very physical at the line of scrimmage and the catch point, and his ball skills allow him to disrupt a lot of passes which was evident by his 23 pass breakups on the college level.

Now, the debate between the two young studs is at an all-time high. There isn’t a wrong answer if either of them is the Cowboy’s first-round pick. Surtain very well could be in the lead, but Horn’s Pro Day performance has made the choice a lot tougher than many previously thought.

All eyes will be on the Cowboys in April when the 10th pick comes about, and if Surtain and Horn are still on the board, one of them will likely be the selection. Who will it be if that’s the case? Only time will tell, but it makes for great conversation.