WATCH: Troy Pride Jr. Highlights & Analysis
One of the biggest areas of concern for the Carolina Panthers heading into the 2020 NFL Draft was cornerback, especially after four-year veteran James Bradberry signed with the New York Giants in free agency.
Thanks to the generosity of Sports Illustrated's Notre Dame publisher Bryan Driskell of Irish Breakdown, we were able to get the inside look at what Pride Jr. brings to the table.
"He’s got elite speed obviously, and his instincts playing routes is quite good. He had to battle monsters the last three years (Claypool, Boykin), so he’ll compete, but he needs to get stronger. He’s an average tackler, but he’ll give effort. His technique in transitions needs work, but his speed is so elite he can recover from it," Driskell said.
"He’s played well in big games. He gave up two catches for 12 yards against Clemson last year, and he was all over Tee Higgins. He can play off coverage and he can press. I think he can play immediately as a nickel but he has legit NFL starting corner tools. During his senior season, Pride allowed just 32 catches for 332 yards in 13 games and allowed just seven total touchdown passes in four seasons."
With the lack of depth at the position, Pride Jr. is in a position to see the field right away and potentially lock up a starting spot by the end of the preseason. His athleticism alone will help him get on the field, but he does have some areas of his game to work on - especially tackling as Driskell stated.
In an ideal world, Pride Jr. would have a veteran or two in front of him to develop and learn behind, but that doesn't appear to be the case. It's very likely that he will be thrown right into the mix from day one.
What do you think of Troy Pride Jr.'s game? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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