The Carolina Panthers are hell-bent on building their offense around Bryce Young. Since selecting him No. 1 overall in 2023, they have regularly invested premium draft capital on wide receivers. Jonathan Mingo (No. 39 overall) in 2023, Xavier Legette (No. 32 overall) in 2024, and Tetairoa McMillan (No. 8 overall) in 2025.
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Carolina’s quest didn’t stop there. They nabbed Jalen Coker as an undrafted free agent after choosing Legette a season ago. This year, they added Jimmy Horn Jr. in the sixth round (No. 208 overall). Horn’s draft pedigree isn’t equal to that of McMillan’s or Legette’s, but he has made waves in offseason workouts all the same.
And those flashes have Coach Dre of the Sports Talk with B Watts podcast thinking Horn could land a big role in the Panthers’ offense right out of the gate.
“Out of all the guys we’re talking about, besides Travis [Hunter], besides being the special teams guy, I think Jimmy Horn has the most likely chance to start for you in Week One because Bryce Young loves this guy. Again, Steve Smith says this guy could be special… that speaks volumes,” he said.
As Coach Dre mentioned, Horn Jr., a former Colorado wideout, drew rave reviews from Carolina franchise legend Steve Smith Sr. during the scouting process. The future NFL Hall of Famer thinks Horn Jr. “flew under the radar” due to a lack of targets with the Buffaloes.
“Jimmy Horn is smooth. He’s got some speed to him. He can run, he can catch. Quiet footwork, no false steps. Rolled into his routes like you’re supposed to run into your routes. His spacing between lead foot and back foot, ideal. No false movement. Looking at his routes in person, this is a kid who I felt was borderline, how teams looked at him, and then you go and see him, and he checks that box.”
Horn Jr. developing into a solid receiver would be a major boon for the Panthers. Their attempts at building around Young, while sound in practice, have yet to pay real dividends. Mingo is already off the roster. Legette posted solid numbers as a rookie (49 rec., 497 yards, 4 TD) but struggled with drops. McMillan hasn’t played yet, but it’s possible his collegiate film study habits hamper his adjustment to the pros.
Fortunately, the upside of this receiving corps drastically outweighs the downside. McMillan’s presence allows Legette positioned as the No. 2 wideout, his more natural role. It also creates an opportunity for Horn Jr. in the slot once Adam Thielen is out of the picture. You can see how head coach Dave Canales envisioned all the pieces of this offense fitting together. Now, it’s on his players to make his imagination become reality.
