Panthers draft: Areas of concern for Carolina’s top 4 picks

Troy Pride Jr. – Tackling

Notre Dame speed demon Troy Pride Jr. is yet another intriguing selection from the Panthers draft team. There is much to like about the way the player conducts himself on and off the field and he is a perfect fit for Phil Snow’s defensive scheme.

He might be a little rough around the edges. But there is plenty to work with regarding the cornerback’s potential to be a day one starter in the NFL. Pride Jr. will need to learn quickly as the Panthers might not have any other choice other than throwing him in at the deep end in week one.

One area that the player will need to brush up on considerably is his tackling ability. This was a suspect area of his game during his college career and it remains to be seen how Pride Jr. will get on against bigger receivers on the outside.

Pride Jr. will need to improve his ability to stuff an opposing player at the point of contact. And his tackling in space is something else that warrants serious attention during what could be a shortened training camp due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Panthers’ coaching staff will be fully aware of this. They did not draft Pride Jr. for him to become a development project and will need to put in some serious work with the player in the weeks ahead to ensure he is ready to go when the real action begins.

It would also be a surprise if Pride Jr. did not see some considerable game time during the preseason to further hone his craft.