Niner Noise
FanSided

5 2020 Senior Bowl standouts 49ers may like for NFL Draft

By Jeremy Wohlfart

Troy Pride Jr, Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Troy Pride Jr, Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Troy Pride Jr. #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts on the field after being defeated by the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. Clemson defeated Notre Dame 30-3.(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Troy Pride Jr. #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts on the field after being defeated by the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. Clemson defeated Notre Dame 30-3.(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Troy Pride Jr., Cornerback, Notre Dame

While everybody has their eyes on the players that are looking to become first-round selections and seeing how their draft stock rises and falls, the really big impacts are seen more in those that will be selected further back.

Yes, quarterback Justin Herbert had a great Senior Bowl, and it may yet change how the draft unfolds, but he was a projected first-round pick anyway.

For someone like Troy Pride Jr., however, he may have increased his draft stock by entire rounds.

A projected pick on the final day of the draft, Pride Jr. had an amazing week at the Senior Bowl. He impressed scouts right away at the practices with some excellent performances in one-on-ones.

This carried through to the game, where he had an interception just to put the cherry on top of his excellent week.

Pride Jr. is speedy and has demonstrated a knack for mirroring receivers in man coverage. He had concerns with his press coverage and ability to play the ball, but he answered these questions in the Senior Bowl.

Pride Jr. looks currently to be a fourth-round selection after boosting his draft stock, but a team picking late in the third round could see a potential steal and swoop on him.

The 49ers are currently set at cornerback with Richard Sherman, Emmanuel Moseley, and K’Waun Williams starting, and it’s entirely too soon to give up on Ahkello Witherspoon. However, depth behind them is a bit weak, and Sherman is definitely coming to the end of his career.

The 49ers might need to do a bit of trading to be able to pick him in the fourth round, but he could be worth drafting as a depth player who can develop into a starter down the line.