CHARLOTTE — The Panthers might have loved to have had the chance to take a cornerstone left tackle.
They took someone they think is a cornerstone cornerback instead, leaving a quarterback on the board in the process.
With the eighth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Panthers selected South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn .
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Horn is the kind of physical player they're looking for at the position, an aggressive press corner who will be able to compete in the NFC South.
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule talked about Horn's ability to match up against the big receivers of the division, and to do so immediately, able to start opposite Donte Jackson from day one.
"I just think with the big receivers we have to face, week in and week out, you have Mike Evans, you have Chris Godwin, you have Michael Thomas, you have Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, now Kyle Pitts. It's going to take a lot of guys who can cover, and also can cover really big men.
"You know how we feel about Donte, we're excited about the guys we brought in last year, but there's a size match up in the NFC South that matters. And he checks that box for us."
Horn also brings a bit of swagger to the secondary they lacked.
"We loved the competitive makeup, the cover ability, and just the person," general manager Scott Fitterer said. "He brings a lot of energy. I think he's a really good fit for this team and we're excited to get him."
The Panthers just missed on a chance to draft left tackle Penei Sewell, who went one pick ahead of them to Detroit.
But with Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields still on the board, the phones rang, but none of the offers swayed them from the chance to add a cornerback of Horn's ability.
"We fielded calls, but there wasn't anything that matched moving away from Jaycee," Fitterer said.
View photos of cornerback Jaycee Horn during his career with the Gamecocks.
The South Carolina Gamecocks took on the Tennessee Volunteers in a Southeastern Conference Eastern Division contest on Shields-Watkins Field at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019. (Photo by Danny Parker)
South Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn (1) drops back in coverage against Mississippi in the second half in an NCAA college football game, in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. Mississippi won 59-42. (AP Photo/Bruce Newman)
FILE - South Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn (1) celebrates his second interception during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn in Columbia, S.C., in this Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, file photo. Horn is a possible pick in the NFL Draft, April 29-May 1, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford, File)
South Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn plays against Vanderbilt in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2020, file photo, South Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn plays against Vanderbilt in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Nashville, Tenn. The Arizona Cardinals pick at No. 16 in the upcoming NFL draft and seem likely to target a defensive player, particularly a cornerback. There could be several opportunities to add one depending on how the picks shake out: Alabama's Patrick Surtain II, South Carolina's Horn and Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
South Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn (1) lines up against Vanderbilt wide receiver Amir Abdur-Rahman (2) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
South Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn (1) returns his second interception of the game during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina defeated Auburn 30-22. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
South Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn (1) celebrates an interception with Israel Mukuamu (24) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina defeated Auburn 30-22. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
South Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn (1) celebrates with students after defeating Auburn during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina defeated Auburn 30-22. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
South Carolina defensive back Jaycee Horn (1) celebrates a stop during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
