We are just days removed from the 2021 NFL draft, that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead to next year’s class. With college football likely looking somewhat “normal” in 2021, that should provide more information and games to watch on the top prospects.
One of those top prospects is Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam. The nephew of Matt Elam, who was a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2013, Kairr is one of the best cornerback prospects in the draft.
In a recent mock draft by ESPN’s Todd McShay, he has the Raiders selecting inside the top-10 and picking Kairr. Here is what McShay had to say about the possible pick in 2022:
“Elam is a 6-foot-2 speedy ball hawk — he played wide receiver and ran track in high school — who has picked off five passes over two seasons with the Gators. His 13 passes defended in 2020 tied for the fourth-most in the country. The Raiders took corners inside the first three rounds in 2019 (Trayvon Mullen, Round 2) and 2020 (Damon Arnette, Round 1), but Elam would help shore up a unit that has struggled. Las Vegas tied for the fifth-fewest interceptions in 2020 with just 10.”
The Raiders did sign Casey Hayward this week, but he is on just a one-year deal. The future for Arnette seems uncertain after a rocky rookie season in which Mike Mayock criticized his work ethic. Given that the front office loves to draft players from big schools like Florida, it’s not at all that hard to envision Elam being the pick a year from now.
Elam, along with LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr., is one of the top prospects in next year’s draft and is worth monitoring during SEC play this fall.
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