There are countless examples of players who get injured in their final year of college and see their draft stock slip as a result. Many of those players bounce back and prove they’re every bit as good as the pre-injury buzz suggested.
Colorado State wide receiver Tory Horton is poised to be a perfect example of this and an ideal candidate for the Green Bay Packers to scoop up on Day 2 or even Day 3.
Horton led the Mountain West Conference in receptions in 2023 with 96. He also tallied 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns. The year prior, he led the conference in receiving yards with 1,131, totaling 71 receptions and eight touchdowns.
Defenses spotlighted Horton every week over the last few years, and he still produced eye-popping numbers. Entering 2024, he was expected to be drafted early on Day 2.
The injury changed that.
A lot was unknown — and still is — regarding the knee injury that cut short Horton’s final year with Colorado State. The knee injury required surgery, putting him on the shelf for some time. Naturally, questions linger about how Horton will look coming out on the other end.
Horton wasn’t expected to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He did, though, posting an impressive 4.41-second 40 time. That 40 time helped lay to rest some of the worry surrounding the injury. Still, he’s not expected to be a second-round selection, and many mock drafts have him pegged to go in the third or fourth round.
Green Bay needs a jolt in the receiver room and to add some competition to a group that never maximized its potential in 2024.
Could Horton eventually be a No. 1 wide receiver?
That might be a stretch, and the Packers may not even be searching for that, given some of the decisions already made this offseason. But they definitely need another playmaker in the room, especially with all the looming uncertainties entering the 2025 regular season — and beyond.
Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are set to be free agents at the end of next season. There hasn’t been a whisper of any negotiations taking place about extensions. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been talks, nor does it mean progress couldn’t be made during the season. However, it means there’s no guarantee either one is back in the fold in 2026. After the 2026 season, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are set to be free agents.
The point is that there is too much uncertainty about the future of the position for Green Bay not to invest in the draft.
Horton wouldn’t require using the No. 23 pick, but he may be looked back on in a year or two as someone with first-round talent who slipped to the later rounds. At his pro day last week, reports showed that Horton looked like his old pre-injury self. The lanky wide receiver put on a show with snow falling and the wind gusting.
Snow falling on a pro day? Tough winds to deal with? Sound like a familiar environment to anyone?
Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell raved about Horton following the display.
I’m so proud of Tory. It’s a culmination of so much hard work. This is typical Tory Horton. I mean, being outside in the snow, in the wind, in the cold and running routes and catching punts. He’s a football player. All he cares about is winning and somebody is going to get a steal.
That’s music to Packers fans’ ears.
Horton noted after his pro day, via the Coloradoan, that the knee injury is a thing of the past.
I feel great in the spot I’m in health-wise. Physically and mentally I feel great. No worries about the knee at all.
Tetairoa McMillan will likely be long gone by the time Green Bay selects at No. 23. The Packers have had or will have top-30 visits with Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka. However, it wouldn’t be the least surprising if all three of these guys are swiped before the Packers turn in their card in the first round.
If Green Bay whiffs on those options or has the chance to take one and just goes a different direction with a different position, they should keep Horton in mind. If not for the knee injury, Horton would be getting much more buzz. His misfortune could be a boon for a team that gets a top talent with a Day 2 or 3 pick.
Horton is used to the cold and the snow. He posted a high Relative Athletic Score of 9.40 out of 10 and played on the outside a ton but played some slot in college. Horton can also be a factor in the punt return game.
He checks so many of Green Bay’s boxes that it’s scary. The Packers could get Horton late on Day 2 or even Day 3, which is a perfect scenario waiting to happen.
