Week 1 of the 2021 college football season just finished up, but many in sports media are already turning their attention to the 2022 NFL draft. After Florida saw two players selected in the first round last year, this is a younger Gators team that has fewer bona fide pro prospects, at least at this point in the season.
However, one player stands above the rest. Cornerback Kaiir Elam was asked to take on a big role right away as a true freshman in 2019 when C.J. Henderson got hurt, and he never looked back. He became one of the SEC’s best defensive backs in 2020, and he was a bright spot on a secondary that otherwise struggled.
His play has earned him a lot of hype this offseason, and he’s considered one of the best defensive backs in the 2022 class. In the latest mock draft from CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson, Elam is taken at No. 13, making him the third cornerback to go in the top 15 after LSU‘s Derek Stingley Jr. and Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr.
Here’s Wilson’s analysis of Elam as a prospect.
Elam has the size (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and athleticism to be one of the best draft-eligible corners in ’21. It looks like this might be Joe Haden’s last season in Pittsburgh and the Steelers desperately need to restock the CB position.
Some mock drafts show Elam going as high as the top five, but he would be a good fit with a talented Steelers defense that needs to find a long-term replacement for Haden (another former Gator). With the other side of Florida’s secondary being a bigger weakness, teams may not throw a lot at Elam this season. But regardless, he should hear his name called on Night 1 of the draft next spring.
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