NY Giants football: 5 potential draft candidates at cornerback
By Matt Clark
RD 4: Troy Pride Jr. – Notre Dame
If the NY Giants value speed at the cornerback position, then they should be sure to target Troy Pride Jr. out of Notre Dame. Some experts believe that Pride Jr. may run a sub 4.30 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He is expected to be one of the fastest players in the 2020 NFL Draft.
At 6’0″ and 195-pounds, Pride Jr. has the size to go along with the elite speed. Additionally, Pride Jr. possesses great instincts and excellent hands in coverage. He needs to become more physical in his play and sometimes lacks aggressiveness, relying instead on pure athletic ability in coverage.
The statistics that Pride Jr. put up at Notre Dame don’t exactly jump off the page. However, there is no doubt about his athletic ability. Following a strong performance in the Senior Bowl and what is expected to be an impressive showing at the NFL Combine, Pride Jr. is pegged by most draft experts as a player who could skyrocket up the draft boards.
The NY Giants would be wise to target a player of Pride Jr.’s caliber if he is available in the middle rounds of the draft. If the Giants were to select Pride Jr., he would be reunited with Julian Love, who was his teammate and the cornerback opposite Pride Jr. at Notre Dame. A cornerback with this much speed and athleticism is certainly worth New York monitoring.