You must choose: The problem of deciding between Patrick Surtain II and Jaycee Horn for the Cowboys

With the Dallas Cowboys front office now squarely focused on the 2021 NFL Draft, the question on many minds is who will the Cowboys take with the 10th pick this year? The most mocked players to this point have been defensive backs Patrick Surtain II out of Alabama and Jaycee Horn out of South Carolina.

Both are very talented defensive backs that would give the Cowboys size, athleticism, and speed, inserting an immediate upgrade into the starting lineup opposite second-year defensive back Trevon Diggs. Looking at their measurements and pro day numbers, they are pretty equal other than Surtain II’s two-inch height advantage and Horn’s lower-body explosiveness. So the Cowboys, either way, would be picking a very talented player.

We know who the Cowboys sent to watch the player’s pro days so they could get an up-close and personal look at them live. Surtain II had Dan Quinn, Mike McCarthy, Will McClay, and their southeast scout Chris Vaughn in attendance where he put up impressive numbers (see above). After that, McClay and Quinn then made the trip to see Horn at his pro day who also put up impressive numbers (see above). Even after their pro days, there wasn’t much to separate the two if you are looking at them from a physical standpoint and testing.

We should assume that they are still trying to figure out who they want between the two. They are evaluating how much Surtain II fits Quinn’s scheme based on his ability to play press-man coverage and ability to play in a Cover 3 scheme. He is also thought of as being the most fundamentally sound in his play of the two contenders with the lower floor, and he is also no slouch physically.

Horn may be just as good in press-man coverage, but he has a bit more quickness to his game and can play all three cornerback positions giving the Cowboys the ability to move him all over the field so teams can’t throw away from him. He may not be the technician that Sutain II is, but he is incredibly explosive.

This is a decision that could affect the Cowboys for years to come. Pick the wrong guy and you have botched a high draft pick and set the organization back. Of course, there may be no wrong pick here because both players might end up with stellar NFL careers.

The question is over to you BTB. Which one of these two corners do you prefer?