Florida’s passing defense ranked near the middle of the pack in the SEC in 2020, and though the defense struggled across the board, it was especially susceptible against the air attack.
But there was one bright spot in the defensive backfield. Rising junior cornerback Kaiir Elam started all 12 games and was a dominant force. His two interceptions were tied for the most on the team, and he led the team with 11 pass breakups, four more than anyone else.
Pro Football Focus College is high on Elam entering the 2021 season. In its ranking of the top 50 players in college football, he comes in at No. 16.
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Elam did give up a few big plays early on in 2020, but he rallied and emerged as the playmaker we saw as a true freshman in 2019. He now has played exactly 600 coverage snaps at the collegiate level and has earned a 90.7 coverage grade in the process. In those two years combined, Elam has been responsible for 19 first downs and touchdowns while making 21 plays on the ball.
He’s at his best at the line of scrimmage playing in press coverage when he’s allowed to rely on his length and physicality. In all, 265 of his 600 coverage snaps have come in press coverage, yet he’s given up only 0.47 yards per coverage snap on those reps, the best mark among Power 5 cornerbacks who have played at least 250 press-coverage snaps in that span. His press performance was an area of focus for Elam last offseason, and it’s safe to say the hard work paid off.
Elam has a lot of starting experience. He appeared in eight games as a true freshman and started five of them in place of the injured C.J. Henderson.
He’s expected to be the face of the secondary and one of the leaders for the entire defense in 2021. Elam’s also Florida’s best chance at extending its streak of first-round NFL draft picks to three years, with most mocks showing him as one of the top cornerbacks available.
That’s a lot to expect of him, but it’s not far-fetched based on his consistent development since arriving on campus, and the Gators’ defensive success will largely depend on Elam’s play.
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