SF 49ers: Full 7-round New Years Day mock 2021 NFL Draft

Round 1, Pick No. 12 Overall: SF 49ers select Jaycee Horn, Cornerback, South Carolina

The SF 49ers will have nearly their entire secondary hit free agency after the season, and it is widely accepted they will move on from most of the defensive backfield.

Defensive backs Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, Jaquiski Tartt, K’waun Williams, Jason Verrett, and Emmanuel Moseley, to name a few, could all potentially leave. And while the team may re-sign a handful of them, there will most assuredly be losses in the defensive backfield.

So while an offensive lineman would be a nice selection here, the Niners select South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn in hopes of grooming him as their next top cornerback.

At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Horn has the prototypical size to combat some of the division’s best receivers, including the Arizona Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins and Seattle Seahawks’ D.K. Metcalf.

Horn, son of former NFL receiver Joe Horn, is tough and physical and is known for having an aggressive edge. He has exexcellent ball skills and is a willing tackler, which should help him adapt quickly to the physicality of the NFL. This season saw Horn pull down two interceptions against Auburn, where he seemed at times to be the best player on the field. Add his close coverage skills and an aggressive attitude, and he will impress teammates and coaches alike.

He is exactly the type of player the SF 49ers need in their secondary.