Troy Pride, Jr. | CB | Notre Dame
Elevator Pitch
Pride is a speedster on the outside. His speed allows him to cover a lot of ground. Projects as a backup at first with plenty of room to grow into an eventual starter. Does his best work when asked to play off man or in trail technique.
Vitals
Height | 5-11
Weight | 193
Class | Senior
Strengths
Pride does a good job of closing on ball carriers with his top level speed. Click and close is on full display. Has speed to keep up with vertical route runners. What he lacks in length, Pride makes up for with his quickness and footwork. Has the agility to play either outside or nickel cornerback.
Has good football instincts, reads the quarterback well when playing in zone coverage. Can limit a receivers production with his technique. Does well in off man coverage but can also press at the line. He could do a better job at re-routing the receiver but there are definitely flashes of the good here. Defensive backs coach should only help his development there.
Teams that like a competitive cornerback will love Pride. He is like a bulldog on the field with his demeanor. Likely a guy who will get under the skin of receivers and force them out of their game. Despite a lack of ball skills, did a good job of breaking up passes with 18 passes defended in three seasons.
Weaknesses
Pride wasn’t a true ballhawk at the position during his time with the Fighting Irish. Only a handful of interceptions to show for it. He created just five turnover opportunities in four seasons. He has a habit of being grabby downfield that could draw the attention of referees at the NFL level. Will need to focus on technique to limit the number of flags thrown in his direction.
Pride will need to do a better job of closing on receivers in the NFL, he doesn’t contest well enough on the jump ball. He does lack the length that some defensive coaches desire so he needs to win on athleticism when climbing the ladder at the catch point. The physical part of his game is concerning, doesn’t provide much in run support.
