One scout’s comment shouldn’t be taken as a sure-fire sign the Pittsburgh Steelers are drafting him but Colorado WR Jimmy Horn Jr. has a fan on the Steelers’ staff. Offering a tiny bit of Combine chatter, analyst Steve Palazzolo shared how a Pittsburgh scout reacted to Horn’s recent workout.
“The scouts I was sitting near I believe were West Coast scouts,” Palazzolo told c0-host Sam Monson on the Check the Mic podcast. “Because every player [talked about] was all West Coast players. There was a, ‘Horn’s looking good today.’ Some nudges. Maybe from a Steelers’ scout. Some nudges from a Steelers’ West Coast scout about Jimmy Horn. That’s my dirt from my scouting section of the Combine I snuck into.”
It it was a Steelers’ West Coast scout, it would be one of three men in charge of that side of the country: Kelvin Fisher, Mark Bruener, or Chidi Iwuoma. Most likely, it was Fisher, who has attended Colorado’s Pro Day in the past before it became consolidated into the Big 12 Pro Day (he likely still attended the school’s practices and games throughout the year).
Horn isn’t a big name in this year’s receiver class. Nor is he a big man. He weighed in at 5081, 174 pounds at this year’s NFL Combine. But that didn’t stop him from being productive, catching 37 passes for over 400 yards and one touchdown in a Buffaloes’ offense that centered its passing game around Travis Hunter. Horn’s 2023 season with the Buffs was stronger, finishing second on the team with 58 receptions and leading the team with six scores.
A transfer from South Florida, our scouting report praised his ability to get open on short routes and varied route tree. Size concerns aside, other negatives include a lack of YAC and improving in scramble drills. Our report concluded:
“It is easy to see why Deion Sanders is such a fan of Jimmy Horn. The traits he possesses can turn him into a deadly slot receiver in the NFL if he is developed more. He has great speed and can jump higher than most at his position. He has the ability to separate at all levels of the field which can make him a dangerous player. This is all with the story of him working his way to the NFL while overcoming the hardship of his father being in prison for the last few years. The glaring negative is his size which is well below average for his position. In order to get people to overlook the size, Horn had to have had a dominant combine or great college production. However, Horn had neither of those which is ultimately hurting his stock.”
And gave him a late-Day Three draft grade. That reflects most mock drafts either slotting him in the sixth or seventh round or as an undrafted candidate.
Horn would give Pittsburgh a different flair in their wide receiver room. An underneath route runner who can shake man coverage. A contrast to height/weight/speed players like George Pickens and DK Metcalf. Calvin Austin III isn’t tall but is a vertical threat whose game isn’t making plays underneath. Roman Wilson could be that guy but remains an unknown after a lost rookie season.
If Pittsburgh is debating over its final selections or who to target post-draft, Horn might have one scout going to bat for him.
