Notre Dame Football: Draft stock update for Irish prospects after Senior Bowl

Troy Pride Jr.

Pride, often overlooked while playing alongside standout cornerback Julian Love, enjoyed a great deal of success as Notre Dame’s No. 1 guy this season. Pride is at his best when playing zone, but has the speed to keep up with anyone in man to man. We saw that all season, but it was Pride’s physical play in this week’s practice that made him one of the bowl’s standouts.

Pride’s game is elevated when he can sit back on receivers, and the North team’s suffocating pass rush allowed him to do just that. Pride was playing comfortable yet fast, eventually capitalizing on an interception that fell right in his lap. Pride’s speed was shortly on display as he jumped to his feet and returned the interception just yards away from the endzone.

While the pressure from the defensive line certainly helped, Pride was tasked with facing off against a variety of talented wide receivers, not to mention quarterbacks Justin Herbert (Oregon) and Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma). Overall, Pride held his own in a Senior Bowl that solidified what we’d seen all week long.

In terms of his draft outlook as it stands right now, Pride makes the case as a mid to late round pick with the potential to improve his standing in the coming weeks. His speed will certainly turn heads during the combine, but it will be a matter of finding the right fit that ultimately determines his NFL success.