There is a triangle creating a perimeter around the Carolina Panthers defense. Every part of the defense exists within this triangle, the steady points that establish containment for opponents. For the Panthers, those three points are Jaycee Horn, Nick Scott, and Mike Jackson. “They have been the constant in our room,” says defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley.

The trio lived on the field together in 2025, during a season in which the Panthers moved into the top half of the league in passing defense and top 8 in interceptions. In 2025, all three played at least 90 percent of the total defensive snaps. Along with Tre’von Moehrig, those four defenders played a higher percentage of snaps than anyone else on defense.

Moehrig’s use in this defense is an impressive case study in and of itself. We’re focusing on the triangle points for now. And to understand how they work together, you have to appreciate how they think.

Cooley calls Horn and Jackson his risk takers, though they approach those risks in vastly different ways. Scott is his glue guy. And then, as Cooley explains, “they all just balance each other out.” They balance each other not because of the kind of athletes they are, though, but rather the kind of thinkers they are.

In 1921, Swiss psychologist Carl Jung studied the four functions of consciousness, which would become the base of countless personality typology systems. Jung shaped the idea that we approach the day with a dominant and a secondary (auxiliary) function. Dominant functions control our personality and how we first perceive a situation. In football, it would be the called play, relying on reps and film study. Secondary functions are the inverse of the first, allowing us to tap into our subconscious and fully interact with the world. Secondary functions are often employed in high-stress situations … such as a football game.

At their core, Cooley sums up his three constants as such: “Nick’s going to talk the most (on the field). Mike’s going to think the most and then Jaycee’s going to do the most.”

Horn is the instinctive risk taker. He’s aware of all the variables, but trusts his gut more than anything. Jackson is always thinking four steps ahead, baiting his opponent into a trap. If those two are the yin and yang, Scott is the scales of justice between them, ensuring proper communication.

Secondary Functions focuses on each of those personality traits, how they shape each player’s game, and how they work together to benefit the Carolina Panthers.

Explore the secondary functions of The Maverick, The Multiplier, and The Master.