The Buffalo Bills became a tougher team to pass on during third downs thanks to their first-round pick.
After trading up from the No. 25 to 23 selection in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft, Buffalo used the pick to take Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam.
Elam, a lengthy cornerback at 6-foot-2 was expected to be a top selection at the draft because of his build and skill–but his talent on key third downs stuck out as well. That, according to Pro Football Focus.
Per the football analytics outlet, Elam graded held opponents to a 21.0 passer rating on third downs last season, the second-best in the big time SEC conference:
Kaiir Elam: 21.0 passer rating allowed in coverage on third downs last season. 2nd lowest among SEC CBsđź”’ pic.twitter.com/0KYJnmwzsf
— PFF BUF Bills (@PFF_Bills) May 15, 2022
Elam was only graded a 61.8 overall last season by PFF. However, he still put up some productive numbers. In 10 games played, Elam defended five passes and had an interception. In his career at Florida, Elam notched 20 and five in those categories, respectively.
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