College Performance and Combine
Junior cornerback Kaiir Elam played college at Florida for the Gators. Although he is big for a corner (6’2” and 196 lbs), Elam ran a blazing fast 4.39 at the 2022 NFL Combine.
He’s an aggressive player with great physical attributes, but has some trouble shedding blocks and flipping his hips in coverage.
Elam started ten games as a junior, finishing the season with 29 tackles, 1 interception and 5 pass breakups. In the season, he missed three games due to a knee sprain. After returning from the injury, he played in the remaining seven games and chose not to opt out of his bowl game even though he’d most likely secured a first round draft selection already. ESPN’s Todd McShay, right now, projects Elam to the Arizona Cardinals at the 30th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.
One of Elam’s highlights was his performance against No. 1 Alabama where he had three pass breakups and played tight coverage on Jameson Williams (a first-round projected WR).
Kaiir Elam with sticky coverage vs Jameson Williams.
— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) November 3, 2021
Elam is confident in his ability to turn & run w/ him.
He stays square at LOS. Shoots the outside hand and squeezes. Remains in phase, forces the pbu! Williams pushed, Elam, pulled. 🔒pic.twitter.com/5bV55nMZuy
Elam racked up 79 tackles, 20 pass breakups and 6 interceptions in 35 games played in his college career. He lined up in both press and off-coverage looks and likes using his hands fast off the line of scrimmage.
Buffalo Bills’ Situation
The Buffalo Bills have the 25th pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Many think the Bills will draft a cornerback in round one, and reasonably so. They lost their cornerback one, Tre’Davious White, in 2021 when he tore his ACL against the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving night. That injury is typically a 9-12 month recovery, meaning he could possibly be sidelined until November 2022.
The Bills second cornerback on the depth chart in 2021, Levi Wallace, joined the Steelers on a two-year deal via free agency this offseason.
White will be back at some point next season, but losing Wallace means the Bills are left with the following depth chart at cornerback: Tre White, Dane Jackson, Cam Lewis, Taron Johnson (slot CB), Siran Neal (ace special teamer), Olaijah Griffin (practice squad), Nick McCloud (practice squad), and Tim Harris (practice squad).
What could Elam bring?
Elam, quite literally, could be a very big part in the Bills secondary. He can bring size and speed and could come in and be the starter at cornerback two. He’s more physically gifted than Levi Wallace (two inches taller and has a faster 40-time). White, also a late first-round selection at corner, could help build and shape him.
Elam needs to polish his skills a bit further, and where else is a better place to do so than with Sean McDermott, Leslie Frazier, and the veteran-filled, number one defense in the NFL.
