Kaiir Elam - CB - Florida
Welcome to the rookie profile for Kaiir Elam. Elam has had a history of shutting down the best receivers in the SEC. A long, rangy and physical corner with the vision to play zone and the fluid skills to play man. In his past season Elam only allowed 18 catches (from 33 targets) for 165 yards this past season.
Measurables
Height: 6′ 2″
Weight: 196 lbs
40-yard dash: 4.47s
3-cone drill: DNP
20-yard shuttle: DNP
Vertical Jump: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
Bench Press: DNP
College Stats
Notable Headlines
Does the Elam name sound familiar? Thought so as Kaiir Elam’s uncle, Matt, was a former first round pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2013 and his father, Abram, played in the NFL for seven seasons for various NFL franchises. So, it’s safe to say that Kaiir Elam comes from a good bloodline.
Kaiir Elam was a four star recruit out of high school and was highly sought after as he received 27 offers from collegiate programs. Only one destination made sense as he chose the Florida Gators where his uncle, Matt, had his success. Kaiir Elam’s freshman year was a slow burner as played 8 games and put together 10 tackles and 2 interceptions but still led to him receiving SEC All-Freshman Team honors
In Elam’s sophomore year the Gators lost their former corner C.J Henderson who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, this meant Elam would be the main man in Florida’s secondary. He upped his production levels as he played 12 times and amassed 39 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery. After an impressive year Elam was given first-team All-SEC honors and was touted as one of the best corners in the SEC by many.
Injuries have limited Elam a little this past year from really putting himself on the map, even in an injury-hit season he accumulated 29 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and an interception. Whilst an ankle injury has prevented him from cementing himself as the top cornerbacks, he will still more than likely be a mid to late first round selection and prove to be great value if he can replicate the numbers we had seen in his injury free second year for the Gators.
Scouting Report
Positives
Elam has the ideal height metrics for a corner and even at 193 lbs he moves around with a good level of quickness and possesses high level agility. Standing at 6 ‘3 this allows him to stand out from the other corners in this class, an excellent vertical enables him to go up and contest balls with ease; every time I have watched Elam he seems to be swatting away the ball, coming up with it or disrupting plays. His history as a wide receiver in high school, gives him great hands allows him to pick out the ball very well as his experience as a receiver provides good footballing IQ and understanding of his assignments
A former track runner in high school, it is evident as Elam has elite speed which NFL coaches will love at corner and it will help stimulate the threat of opposing high speed receivers. His speed means that he can easily cover most receivers and stay toe to toe with them and allows him the platform to be very aggressive in press coverage where he allowed an average of .5yds per snap when playing in press, mind blowing numbers.
Elam is a physical corner who has active hands and makes it impossible at times for a receiver to catch the ball; look no further than Elam’s tape from the game against Alabama’s star wide receiver John Metchie III which showcases all of this in abundance.
Negatives
Elam’s tackling ability needs some attention and whilst he brings urgency he fails to wrap up ball carriers consistently enough. Quite often he takes up questionable angles by second guessing himself and will overshoot due to his aggressive and explosive approach to plays.
I’d like to see Elam offer a little more in the run game and shedding blocks, if he can add these pieces of the puzzle to his game he will become a ‘cheat code’ in the NFL. He will need to add more strength to improve his shedding ability, once he does this and combining it with his speed it’ll make him a game changer.
Pre Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital- Round 1
Landing Spots
Will we see history repeat itself as another Elam is drafted by the Ravens in the 1st round?
I genuinely think this may well happen, the Ravens have had problems at the cornerback position all season long and need dynamic playmakers in coverage to help with their blitzing. Elam ticks the boxes; he is efficient in coverage and could be a big playmaker that the Ravens would like, he would make an instant impact in defense for Baltimore.
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Image Credit: Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports
