Day three of the NFL Draft can feel like an exercise in futility. It is long. It has a low hit rate for game-changing players. Handfuls of players picked in the final round or two do not make their team’s opening day roster.
More than half an NFL team’s roster, though, is comprised of players who were picked on the final day or not picked at all. Their roles may not be that of a star player or even a starter, but they exist nonetheless and determine a team’s strength and depth behind its stars.
Three Notre Dame players — cornerback Troy Pride Jr., defensive end Khalid Kareem and safety Alohi Gilman — were picked in rounds four through seven in the 2020 NFL Draft. Their selections brought less fanfare than the first-round picks their new teams made, but the fit for each is already taking shape.
Here is a roundup of what Pride’s, Kareem’s and Gilman’s new bosses and Brian Kelly had to say about their potential rookie-year roles and why their new teams drafted them.
Troy Pride Jr. (Carolina Panthers, fourth round)
Kelly
“With Troy Pride, a lot of his evaluation is based on his speed and athletic ability. In one respect, you’re looking at [former teammate] Julian Love and saying, ‘Here’s a guy who make a lot of plays.’ You’re looking at Troy Pride and saying, ‘Here’s a guy who has incredible athletic ability, let’s get him in position to make plays.’
“Troy is a guy who’s just starting to scratch his potential in what he can be as a player. That’s what a lot of the NFL people saw.”
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule
On the idea of Pride playing a major role: “We waited until the fourth round to take a corner knowing we had a need.”
“We felt really good about Troy. Here’s a guy who’s right down the road and a track athlete, which means usually when you’re a track athlete you’re a bit of perfectionist technique-wise and really into training.”
“I had a great video conference with him one day. My wife was actually cooking on the other side of where I was doing the video conference and she said, ‘Who was that?’ That’s a professional. Just a really mature guy. He’s played a lot of football. In a year where there is no offseason and OTAs as of right now, he has the maturity to come in and help us in training camp.”
Panthers general manager Marty Hurney
On what he wanted in a cornerback: “I always believe in corners, they have to be able to cover first. You want them to be physical and come up and tackle, but we were looking for corners who can play man and zone coverage. You’re looking for the skill set and guys that can run.
“The length is important too, especially in this division, you’re looking for corners with some length, are fluid, can flip their hips, turn and mirror, and corners who can run.”
Pride
On his role: “I don’t work just to be somebody in the facilities, I work to be the best in the facilities. If that’s a day-one starter, that’s a day-one starter. If that’s a special teams role, that’s a special teams role. If that’s a nickel role, that’s a nickel role. Whatever the team needs me to do to be the best player I can be, I will do it.”
On facing the prolific NFC South passing attacks: “I’ve always been working for the best, and to have the best in our division. … It’s going to be wonderful.”
Khalid Kareem (Cincinnati Bengals, fifth round)
Kelly
“I’ve talked to a lot of people about him, because immediately you’re trying to compare him to Julian Okwara and they’re different players. Khalid’s a sneaky pass rusher, first of all. He gets off blocks. He has an innate ability to find a way to the quarterback. He’s going to be a guy who plays in this league for a while because he knows how to play the game.”
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo
On Kareem’s position: “Another guy that brings us some flexibility. He did both at Notre Dame. I see him as a defensive end to start where we can, when we're in our sub-defense and he's out there securing the edges. At this point in the draft, when you can get a guy that's big, as tall and as long [as he is] — this guy’s got an 84-inch wing span — had 13 or so sacks in his career, was a captain at Notre Dame last year, and has pass rush ability in the fifth round … those are traits that we like.”
On his traits: “When you're talking about the length that the kid has — 34 and 3/8-inch arms — that’s rare, and that can come into play in a lot of ways: Separation from O-linemen, knocking balls down at the line of scrimmage, and just his overall play and makeup. We liked some of those other guys as well, but we just put this guy a little bit above [them].”
Kareem
On his motor: “I never really give up on a play. Even if I fall down, I’m still getting up trying to make a play. That’s happened numerous times in my career.”
On his traits and length: “It’s something I’ve been trying to put to my game. My stabs, my long arms, they help me a lot. A lot of guys aren’t used to seeing that length, when it comes to a pass rusher. When I get my opportunity, I try to leave my mark.”
On his favorite players: “Chandler Jones, he has great length. But it’s his effort, and he’s a technician. That’s who I look up to as far as pass-rushing goes.”
Alohi Gilman (Los Angeles Chargers, sixth round)
Kelly
“He’s got some of those mental awareness traits. I was talking to John Harbaugh because they were right there ready to take him. … We talked about his smarts, intuitiveness, toughness, just makes your team better in some fashion. I don’t know how he does it, but he influences others. Talk about the Larry Bird mentality, he just makes others better.”
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco
On Gilman’s role: “We’ve lost some of our core special teamers from last year, so that was definitely part of it. But we like him as a safety, too. Safeties in dime package, he’s super smart, he’s tough and he hits. Those are good traits in a secondary. Between safety and special teams, he has a really good chance.”
Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn
“Those late rounds are great places to look for special teams. He’s going to help us in the secondary as well.”
Gilman
On his special teams experience: “I’ve played punt and kickoff at Notre Dame. I’ve played all four teams in my college career. I can make that immediate impact. It’s part of my game I pride myself on. I love playing [special teams] and I’m excited to get with the coaches to continue to learn and make an impact right away.”
On his defensive game: “I feel like I’m pretty well-rounded overall. I’ve gotten a lot of reps in run-stopping to help the team out. But I like to do both things pretty well. I still have a lot to work on in my game, but I’m confident in the box and comfortable in the deep half. I’m a physical player. Tackling is pretty natural for me.”
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_MikeSinger, @PatrickEngel_, @ToddBurlage and @AndrewMentock.
• Like us on Facebook.
