The Chicago Bears are set to take on the Carolina Panthers in their season opener this Sunday, and as both teams appeared to have their offenses set, they’re both coming into this year with question marks on defense.
Despite a sub .500 record last season, the Panthers made it to the playoffs but were eliminated in the wild-card round. This season they are set to be in contention and what should be a wide-open NFC South division, partially because of some under the radar members of their defense.
Each week here at Bears Wire we are picking one player from the opposing team who we would steal and put on the Bears. This week it's Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn.
Defense will be key for the Bears this season and, after losing cornerback Nahshon Wright
and safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard in free agency and with Chicago expected to be without safety Coby Bryant for most of the season and cornerback Kyler Gordon on injured reserve, the team's secondary is in full focus.
Jaycee Horn has been one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the league, and he has not settled on any of his success early in his career. The former eighth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is a two-time Pro Bowl selection, who made it clear that the next step he wants is to have an All-Pro honor added to his resume.
The Bears have Jaylon Johnson as their top cornerback, but putting Horn on the opposite side of Johnson would give defensive coordinator Dennis Allen two corners who can shut down the opposition. An added benefit to putting Horn on the Bears is the thought of what defensive backs coach Al Harris could do with two elite talent corners leading the way in his secondary, and how it would open up more opportunities for the rest of the defensive backs on Chicago's defense.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Gimme him: One player the Bears would steal from the Panthers
