Las Vegas Raiders: 2020 NFL Draft late-round sleeper targets

Coming out of Notre Dame, Troy Pride posted a respectable combine performance running a 4.4 forty and jumping 35.5-inches in the vertical. In Pride’s last two seasons during his collegiate career, he had three interceptions and 16 passes defended with 87 tackles. The majority of this production came in his junior season, but a slight downturn in production is not something to eliminate him from mid-round conversations.

At Notre Dame, Pride played a variety of zone defenses that were primarily Cover 2 and 3. His cap-coverage kept receivers in front of him, and when hugging the line of scrimmage, his trail technique combined with 4.4 forty speed prevented separation. Pride read and reacted well against short passes and was able to come up with open field tackles after the catch.

Pride is not going to be a premier man coverage corner who can blanket an opposing receiver the entirety of a game, but what he can do is be a working cog in the machine that is zone defense.

The Las Vegas Raiders have invested in their safeties with Karl Joseph and Johnathan Abrams meaning they simply need cornerbacks who can complete their role in a zone system on the outside. Pride has shown his capabilities in that system during his time at Notre Dame and can fit in well into this defense.