For most of the year, Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam has been considered a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft, but his draft stock might not be what it was at the beginning of the season. CBS Sports has Elam going late in the first round in its latest mock instead of being selected in the top 10.
Josh Edwards projected Tampa Bay to take Elam with the 28th pick, putting the Gators’ defensive back just on the cusp of slipping out of the first round. Elam’s individual play was fine this year, but he’s no longer considered the consensus second-best option at corner in the draft. CBS Sports now has Elam ranked as the fourth-best corner behind LSU‘s Derek Stingley Jr., Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner and Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr.
All three are expected to go ahead of Elam, according to CBS Sports, but Edwards has fifth-ranked corner Roger McCreary (Auburn) coming off the board before him as well. It could just be a difference of playstyle, but Elam’s fall in the eyes of the experts is hard not to notice.
That doesn’t make him a bad pick, though. Elam can still make an impact on a team in need of defensive backs.
Whether through inconsistencies or injury, Tampa Bay has had a difficult time finding steady play on the boundary. Elam is a big-bodied cornerback who can bridge the gap.
Elam missed some time with injuries this season, which seems to go against what the Bucs are looking for, but it wouldn’t be the first time Tampa Bay used a first-round pick on a defensive back from Florida. Vernon Hargreaves III was drafted eleventh overall in the 2016 draft by Tampa Bay.
Of course, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see someone swoop in before the Buccaneers and take Elam. Stingley is the only bonafide stud in the class, and Elam could easily be looked back on as the second-best corner to come out of this draft.
A murky season in the Swamp might be the reason Elam’s draft stock is so uncertain right now, but an impressive pro day and combine performance could bring him right back to where Gator Nation knows he should be.
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