The Carolina Panthers are a baby franchise in the history of the NFL — first taking the field in 1995 alongside the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. But in those 27 years, their front office has come away with some exceptional talent in the secondary, with names like Chris Gamble, Richard Marshall, Ricky Manning, Deon Grant, and Mike Minter stirring up memories of strong and fruitful careers.

Is South Carolina's Jaycee Horn, taken No. 8 overall by the Panthers in the 2021 NFL Draft, set to be among the stars? It's possible, but it'll have to start with a strong rookie campaign.

Here are three predictions for Horn in his rookie season.

Prediction No. 1: Jaycee Horn will have a more impactful rookie season than his dad did.

First and foremost, it's just flippin' cool that Jaycee Horn was drafted by an NFC South team like the Carolina Panthers. His father, former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn, had a strong career with the New Orleans Saints as a four-time Pro Bowler from 2000-2006, before playing his final season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007.

But what gets lost in Horn's football history is that he was originally selected in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, following a successful stint at Itawamba Community College and two years in the Canadian Football League with the Shreveport Pirates and the Memphis Mad Dogs (yes, the CFL tried to expand south of the Canadian border).

Papa Horn's first two years in the NFL weren't particularly outstanding when in 1996 he appeared in nine games and caught two passes for 30 yards, and in 1997 he appeared in eight games and caught two passes for 65 yards.

It wasn't until 1998, at 26 years old, did he begin to carve out a role in the league. He appeared in all 16 games for the Chiefs, picked up his first NFL start, caught his first touchdown pass, and finish with 14 receptions and 198 yards. In 1999, he was Elvis Grbac's third option behind Hall-of-Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez and wideout Derrick Alexander, finishing with 35 catches, 586 yards, and six touchdowns for the 9-7 Chiefs, before heading to the Big Easy in 2000.

So, no offense to dad here, but Jaycee should have a more impactful first season in the NFL.

Prediction No. 2: Jaycee Horn will lead the Panthers in INTs this season.

The Carolina Panthers were a bit light in the takeaway department last season, and particularly interceptions, where they finished T-31st with only seven in 16 games.

One of those seven interceptions came from veteran safety Tre Boston, who was selected by the Panthers in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft and bounced around to the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals before returning to Carolina in 2019.

Now a free agent after collecting 95 tackles a year ago, Boston's production will have to be replaced by committee but can be taken by Horn — who played quite a bit of left corner in Will Muschamp's defense.

While with the Gamecocks, Horn finished with two career interceptions, two forced fumbles, 23 pass deflections, and three sacks, generating stats at all three levels of the defense. And at 6-foot, 200 pounds, he stands to be a potent, physical press-man threat who can generate some pressure at the line of scrimmage.

Fourth-year veteran and left corner Donte Jackson led the Panthers with three interceptions and 11 deflections last year and could challenge this prediction with a stellar 2021 campaign. But again, Horn is going to get opportunities. Rasul Douglas, Carolina's starting right corner in 11 games, signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason. The chances will be aplenty for Horn to make plays.

Prediction No. 3: Jaycee Horn will contend for 2021 Defensive “Rookie of the Year.”

With second-year safety, former Southern Illinois star, and near 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jeremy Chinn covering the backside, Horn will have an immediate chance to play a little more free and aggressive on passing routes than most rookie corners get. In fact, Chinn's work ethic and lead-by-example mentality might be enough to push Horn along as the season progresses.

But Horn will contend for the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year because — if his snap count is high (and it should be) — he's going up against a prolific schedule this year. Naturally, he's in a division replete with pass-catching talent.

But the Panthers also play the Arizona Cardinals, the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Football Team, the Minnesota Vikings, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Giants, the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots, and the New York Jets.

This can either be an all-you-can-eat buffet for Horn, or he can get roasted in the fiery baptism of NFL game speed against some of the top talents in the league. Either way, the Panthers were smart to draft a corner early with this deadly offensive slate, and if Horn plays a consistent, stable role in limiting this firepower in 2021, he'll absolutely be in those top discussions.