Sep 22, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker (11) attempts to catch the ball against Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings have a tough decision to make when the NFL trade deadline arrives in a few weeks.
After a 5-0 start, few people would blame Minnesota for going all-in on a Super Bowl this season. Swinging a big trade to bring in a piece would help accomplish that. On the other hand, this was supposed to be a “throwaway” year as the Vikings prepare to bring in J.J. McCarthy at QB in 2025, so any success may be viewed as gravy.
For a Vikings trade to go down, they likely need to find a player who would fit a few different billings:
For the Carolina Panthers, there is a player on their roster who might just check all three of those boxes That player is CB Jaycee Horn, who the Panthers selected with the eighth overall pick in 2021.
The Panthers were hoping that the 2024 season could be a turnaround for them after a disastrous 2-15 season in 2023.
Instead, it has been more of the same in Carolina this fall. The Panthers are 1-4, have benched Bryce Young, and really have no solution towards a turnaround in sight. They have the fourth-worst scoring offense in the NFL through five weeks, and the NFL’s worst scoring defense.
Clearly, these are not recipes for success, particularly in an NFC South division that looks more competitive than many had assumed heading into the fall. As a result, Carolina certainly could be a candidate to begin offloading some players in favor of future draft capital to rebuild for the future.
Horn has blossomed into one of the better NFL cornerbacks over the first 3+ seasons of his career, and so far in 2024, he has put together 23 tackles, two tackles for loss, four passes defended, and an interception through the first five games.
Of course, the Panthers opted to pick up Horn’s fifth-year option this past April, meaning he remains under contract through the 2025 season. Admittedly, this additional season of team control could cause the price tag to acquire him,
That being said, despite Horn’s talent, injury issues have plagued him early on in his career. The cornerback played just three games in his rookie season, 13 games in 2022, and six games in 2023. Any team looking to bring Horn in will quantify that into a trade package.
Before the season started, it appeared that things could be dire for the Vikings at the cornerback position between the tragic passing of Khyree Jackson and the injury to Mekhi Blackmon.
Through five games, the immediate need at the position appears to be lessened with strong play from newcomers Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore. However, an injection of youth should still be a priority for Minnesota when they look ahead to 2025.
All three of Gillmore, Griffin, and Byron Murphy are slated to be free agents in 2025, meaning the cornerback position will be a major topic of discussion again next spring if the Vikings don’t make a move. Horn could be the solution at the price tag of a future Day 2 pick.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.