WHAT WENT RIGHT IN 2025
A lot went right for the corner unit in 2025, much of which centered around Horn and Jackson's ball-hawking skills, as we've already covered. It wasn't just the sheer interception numbers that made a difference though, but also when they happened. Two of Horn's interceptions came agains the Jets, when New York was driving and/or in the red zone. The Panthers ended up winning the game by one possession.
Jackson's first turnover was against the Falcons in Week 3, eliminating any hope for a comeback from Atlanta. His second was in Week 12, along with two from Horn, that kept the Panthers in a close one with the 49ers for the first half. In Week 13, it was Jackson who picked off MVP Matthew Stafford, returning it for a touchdown in a huge 31-28 win over the Rams. He picked off Stafford again in the wild card game that was one of the best all-around corner games the NFL got this year, and added another against his former team, the Seahawks, in Week 17.
Both corners also proved themselves to be not only able tacklers but impactful tacklers. In the Week 16 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game Carolina had to win for division standings, the Bucs were in third-and-goal from the 2-yard line. All Sean Tucker had to do was punch it in, which he'd done all season. But Horn chased him down from the backside and made the touchdown-saving play.
Jackson finished with 68 total tackles, fifth-most on the entire team, including four for loss.
The Panthers also saw a lot out of Thornton, enough to make this offseason exciting knowing they have depth for the immediate future, and time to develop the young player for the far future.