The Carolina Panthers have selected former Notre Dame cornerback Troy Pride Jr. with their fourth round (No. 113 overall) pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Pride fills the need at cornerback many have said the Panthers must fill in the draft. It also continues the Panthers defensive trend. We had hoped the Panthers would focus on defense and they have not disappointed.

Pride is very fast. He ran a 4.4 40-yard dash at the Combine and was a track star at Notre Dame. When paired with Donte Jackson his gives the Panthers some exceptional speed at cornerback, which should be a good fit for the defense. He also fits Matt Rhule philosophy on players. Rhule wants exceptional athletes first, and he is confident in his staff’s ability to coach skills second when and where those athletes have any short comings.

Per the NFL.com scouting report, Pride has the potential for adequate to above average coverage skills and instincts. He can still get fooled a little to frequently by well run routes. He also has had trouble translating his athleticism to jumping to contest catches and high point the ball. He also has substandard ball skills, as demonstrated by his only four interceptions on 37 games.

These are all things that Rhule and his staff believe they can work with. After all, it is easier to teach somebody how to recognize a route than it is how to be tall and fast.