Tag: Kaiir Elam

Gator defensive back vaults into the top 5 of this 2022 mock draft

Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam is expected to be a first-round pick next season, but this Pro Football Network mock had him in the top 5.

Florida’s secondary may have been one of its biggest weaknesses during the 2020 season, but the cornerback group specifically is poised to enter 2021 as one of the team’s strengths. It’s led by junior Kaiir Elam, who became a full-time starter last season after seeing several starts due to injury as a true freshman.

As Elam approaches what will likely be his final college season, he’s expected to be one of the top defensive players with college football. Alongside LSU‘s Derek Stingley Jr., he’s considered a top-two cornerback in the land.

[exco_embed id=”e5869bc6-faf6-4b7a-8c06-b5610c96a8fe”]

Many analysts project that Elam will be a first-round pick in 2020, but many of them have Stingley being selected before him. This latest mock draft from Pro Football Network’s Cam Mellor is one of the few exceptions, and it’s also the highest draft projection Elam has received to date.

Mellor slots him to the New York Jets with the fourth-overall pick, which would make him the second-straight Gators player to be drafted at No. 4 after the Atlanta Falcons took Kyle Pitts in that spot this year.

A surprise pick to some, sure, but not to others. Kaiir Elam has every bit of the ability of his SEC counterpart in Derek Stingley. Unfortunately for Elam, he never got the name-brand recognition of a Heisman Trophy-winning season from his quarterback to give him that national fame.

While Stingley got cooked by Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith during their famed showdown, Elam more than held his own against Alabama a year ago, specifically against Smith. Elam has terrific size at 6’2″, 195 pounds, as well as incredible ball skills. By year’s end, he should have nearly 30 starts under his belt. He will be one of the more experienced corners in this class, as well as the bloodline of being the nephew of former NFL first-round pick Matt Elam.

It’s lofty for the Gators cornerback, but his prowess on the field can absolutely lift him to this draft stature.

Coming off a season in which he netted 39 tackles and tied for first on the team in interceptions with two (while also leading the team in pass breakups with 11), Elam is expected to do big things on a Florida defense that struggled mightily against elite offenses in 2020.

The nephew of former Gators and NFL safety Matt Elam, the younger Elam will look to follow in his uncle’s footsteps and secure a first-round selection after the conclusion of his college career.

[lawrence-related id=47134,47132,47084,47082,47075]

[vertical-gallery id=38757]

Florida’s leading defensive back ranks highly in PFF College’s top 50 players

The junior cornerback started every game last season, and he’s back in 2021 with high expectations from the national media.

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.

[exco_embed id=”e5869bc6-faf6-4b7a-8c06-b5610c96a8fe”]

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.

[lawrence-related id=46486,46484,46417,46376,46317]

[vertical-gallery id=38757]

The Gators could have one of the SEC’s best outside cornerback duos in 2021

The Gators have a pair of stellar outside cornerbacks, and if everything clicks, they could be some of the best in the conference.

What can I possibly write about the Gators’ defense last season that isn’t already common knowledge? The unit was a jumbled mess, with players totally missing assignments and routinely underperforming their physical talents to a considerable degree. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is still in place, but there needed to be a scapegoat and several assistants were dismissed. There’s almost nowhere to go but up.

Particularly in the cornerbacks room, there’s reason to believe that the level of production will be better by a wide margin. In fact, their duo of outside cornerbacks could be one of the best pairings in the SEC.

The veteran, Kaiir Elam, is getting a lot of buzz in early mock drafts as a mid-first-round talent. In the recent CBS Sports mock draft by Josh Edwards, he’s picked by the Jets with the 21st overall selection. “Kaiir Elam stands out as a player with the ability to jump into the first-round conversation,” said Edwards about the selection.

Elam is long and strong, making him a natural fit in the draft for a team who likes to run press-man coverage. At the collegiate level, he’s plenty talented enough to shut down to disrupt most teams’ top receiving option. His background as a wide receiver also affords him better ball skills than many man coverage corners who have his level of physicality.

NEXT: This standout freshman has the other corner covered

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Florida’s Elam has ‘promise of being one of the best in his class’ in 2022 NFL draft

Elam was the lone Gators representative but he received high praise while listed as one of the best at his position.

[mm-video type=video id=01f4t1htcnzhbcy1vvcy playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f4t1htcnzhbcy1vvcy/01f4t1htcnzhbcy1vvcy-3aa43a088b42f8821dc7659f5ba7b759.jpg]

Sure it may feel early but NFL draft fever has carried over from the 2021 festivities and now helps feed next year’s frenzy as many in the media start releasing their way-too-early predictions. One of the names most commonly heard in these premature mocks is Florida Gators defensive back Kaiir Elam, whose skill set and athleticism are too tempting to ignore heading into fall.

Stepping away from the mock draft paradigm, CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards took a look at the top 5 prospects to look for in next year’s draft. Elam was the lone Gators representative but he received high praise while listed as one of the best at his position. Here is what Edwards had to say.

Elam is a physical cornerback with the promise of being one of the best in his class.

While the blurb is short and sweet, it gets straight to the point — Florida’s incoming junior has the physical presence one expects from a top-ranked player. How his fall season shakes out is anyone’s guess, but for now, it looks like the consensus is that Elam is a player with a high ceiling, which hopefully bodes well for the Gators before he ships off to the pros.

[lawrence-related id=42309,42513,42480,42444,42312,]

[vertical-gallery id=38757]

These two Gators taken in the top 10 of PFF’s 2022 mock NFL draft

Fall is still far away and a lot can happen between now and then—but for the time being, this should make Gator Nation feel pretty good. 

[mm-video type=video id=01f4t1htcnzhbcy1vvcy playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f4t1htcnzhbcy1vvcy/01f4t1htcnzhbcy1vvcy-3aa43a088b42f8821dc7659f5ba7b759.jpg]

Did you get enough of the 2021 NFL draft to hold you over until next season? Of course you did not, that is why the sports media has already started publishing their way-too-early predictions for next year’s draft. The good news for fans of Florida football is that one of their boys has received a great deal of acclaim early on.

So far, pretty much every mock out there has Gators defensive back Kaiir Elam among the first 32 players taken next spring. A vast majority have the incoming junior from Riviera Beach, Florida, in the top half of the draft — and still, some have him in their top 10. Pro Football Focus’s Mike Renner is one of the latter, predicting that he will be taken with the No. 8 pick by the Las Vegas Raiders.

But wait a minute… who is that taken by the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of him at No. 6? Yes, that is quarterback Emory Jones, who Renner believes will be the third QB taken in 2022 behind Oklahoma Sooner Spencer Rattler and North Carolina Tar Heel Sam Howell. That is quite a lofty projection.

Every Florida fan on the planet hopes that Jones and Elam perform up to Renner’s expectations, given that fielding a superstar on both offense and defense is often the recipe for team success. But fall is still far away and a lot can happen between now and then — but for the time being, this should make Gator Nation feel pretty good.

[lawrence-related id=42480,42474,42444,42312,42309]

[listicle id=42056]

[listicle id=42213]

This Gator is among USA TODAY’s top 15 players in the 2022 NFL draft

Take a look at USA TODAY Sport’s top 15 players in a way-too-early prediction of the 2022 NFL draft, including defensive back Kaiir Elam.

The 2021 NFL draft is officially over and in the books, and what a draft it was for Florida football fans. The Gators had the most players selected in the seven-round event since 2016 and star tight end Kyle Pitts was the highest-selected at his position in the modern era of the draft.

Now that it over and done with, it is never too early to start looking ahead, right? While the ink is still drying on contracts of the drafted players and undrafted free agents, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz at USA TODAY Sports went ahead and gave his way-too-early top 15 projection for next year’s selection extravaganza.

Among them is a talented defensive back whom the Gators will be relying on heavily to anchor their D-unit next season in Kaiir Elam. Expectations will be high for him in his junior year as he will be one of the most experienced players in the secondary, but he has done quite well thus far meeting and even exceeding many of his projections.

Take a look at Middlehurst-Schwartz’s top 15 players in his way-too-early predictions for the 2022 NFL draft below, including defensive back Kaiir Elam.

Kaiir Elam set to lead Florida’s secondary in 2021

Elam enters his junior season as one of the most experienced players on defense, and he should lead a secondary that struggled in 2020.

Name: Kaiir Elam

Number: 5

Position: Defensive Back

Class: Junior

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 193 lbs

Hometown: Riviera Beach, Florida

High School: Benjamin

Twitter: @Easymoney_Kai

2020 statistics:

TOT SOLO AST FR YDS INT YDS TD PD
39 28 11 1 0 2 0 0 11

Overview:

The nephew of former star Gators safety Matt Elam, Kaiir Elam joined the Florida roster as a four-star recruit from South Florida in the 2019 recruiting class. His first year on campus, he played in all 13 games and started five of them as C.J. Henderson dealt with injuries. He finished with 11 tackles, three picks and four passes defended (the second-most on the team).

Elam entered his sophomore season in 2020 poised to start opposite Marco Wilson, and he did not disappoint. He started all 12 games, and he totaled 39 tackles, two picks and 11 passes defensed. He also recovered his first career fumble in the Cotton Bowl loss to Oklahoma.

He now enters his junior season in 2021 as one of the most experienced players in the secondary and also as one of the Gators’ top draft prospects. Expectations are high for him going into what will likely be his final season in Gainesville, but so far, he’s done nothing but exceed them.

Video:

[vertical-gallery id=38757]

 

Trask snubbed by AP, named to All-SEC Second Team alongside 3 other Gators

Trask is on the All-SEC Second Team joined by three of his teammates, ATH Kadarius Toney, DE Brenton Cox Jr. and CB Kaiir Elam.

When the SEC coaches elected to name Alabama’s Mac Jones to the All-SEC First Team, the decision was a bit puzzling. After all, UF’s Kyle Trask had more yards, passing touchdowns and average yards per game. But when the AP released its All-SEC First and Second Team lists, it was clear that the coaches made no mistake.

Once again, Trask was relegated to the All-SEC Second Team. He is joined there by three of his teammates, receiver Kadarius Toney, defensive end Brenton Cox Jr. and cornerback Kaiir Elam (who was a First Team selection by the coaches).

Jones being honored by the media doesn’t bode well for Trask’s Heisman chances, which rest with the decisions of many of them.

Toney was one of the most electric players in the country and the Gators’ leading receiver. He’s closing in on 1,000 receiving yards, and he has 10 touchdowns through the air.

Cox Jr., meanwhile, wasn’t quite as dominant as Florida hoped the former five-star recruit Georgia transfer would be. But he was a solid contributor on a defense that struggled to find them. He had 3.5 sacks in the first 11 games, and he has 42 total tackles on the season. With two more years of eligibility, he has the opportunity to be a major part of UF’s defense in the coming years.

Elam, on the other hand, may not be around for much longer. The true sophomore has to return next season, but he will likely find himself an early-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was a bright spot on a UF secondary that had few this season, with 39 tackles, two interceptions and 11 passes deflected to this point.

[lawrence-related id=31583,31567,31545,31505,31503]

[listicle id=31340]

[vertical-gallery id=31271]

[vertical-gallery id=31552]

Trio of Gators make The Athletic’s preseason college football All-Who’s Actually Playing Team

The Florida Gators football players were named in The Athletic’s preseason college football All-Who’s Actually Playing Team.

[jwplayer QBMkmdTU]

Three Florida Gators football players were named in The Athletic’s preseason college football All-Who’s Actually Playing Team, published on Tuesday. Junior tight end Kyle Pitts, sophomore defensive back Kaiir Elam and junior placekicker Evan McPherson all made the publication’s second team at their respective positions.

The Athletic’s first team features Clemson’s junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence at the helm, while three SEC players made the cut on both offense and defense, while two of the three special teams slots are occupied by the boys down south. The Alabama Crimson Tide features four players from its hallowed halls, while the Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky Wildcats, Missouri Tigers and LSU Tigers all have a single representative on the list.

On the second team, the SEC has six players named on offense and five on defense, including Pitts and Elam, respectively, with McPherson the lone representative on special teams. ‘Bama once again led the way with three players listed — two on offense and one on defense — while the Kentucky Wildcats were mentioned twice on offense, the Georgia Bulldogs twice on defense, and the Mississippi State Bulldogs and LSU getting a mention on offense and defense, respectively.

[lawrence-related id=21736,21719,21703,21684,21656]

[vertical-gallery id=20711]

[vertical-gallery id=20730]

Gators cornerback Kaiir Elam named to Jim Thorpe Award Watch List

Kaiir Elam, who appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, has been named to the watch list for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.

Sophomore Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam is gaining some national recognition heading into his second season in Gainesville. Elam, who appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, has been named to the watch list for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the top defensive back in college football. He was one of 49 secondary players placed on the list.

Elam started five games in 2019, totaling 11 tackles and three interceptions. He was one of just seven true freshmen in the FBS to snag three or more picks last season. With the departure of one of last year’s starting corners in C.J. Henderson, Elam is likely to take over his starting role on the outside.

The list of 49 will be narrowed to 10-15 semifinalists on Nov. 2 before being slimmed to just three finalists on Nov. 16. The winner is set to be announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 10.

Here’s the full watch list.

Kaiir Elam Florida
Paulson Adebo Stanford
Reed Blankenship Middle Tennessee State
Eric Burrell Wisconsin
Camryn Bynum California
T.J. Carter Memphis
Andre Cisco Syracuse
Kenderick Duncan,  Jr. Georgia Southern
Greg Eisworth Iowa State
Caleb Farley Virginia Tech
Paris Ford Pitt
Kaleb Ford-Dement Old Dominion
Darrick Forrest Cincinnati
Ahmad Gardner Cincinnati
Thomas Graham,  Jr. Oregon
Richie Grant UCF
Darren Hall San Diego State
Brontae Harris UAB
Kolby Harvell-Peel Oklahoma State
Tyrone Hill Buffalo
Jevon Holland Oregon
Talanoa Hufanga USC
Shaun Jolly Appalachian State
Kekaula Kaniho Boise State
Derion Kendrick Clemson
Richard LeCounte Georgia
Trevon Moehrig TCU
Elijah Molden Washington
Israel Mukuamu South Carolina
Hamsah Nasirildeen Florida State
Dell Pettus Troy
Antonio Phillips Ball State
Aaron Robinson UCF
Emmanuel Rugamba Miami (OH)
Caden Sterns Texas
JaCoby Stevens LSU
Derek Stingley, Jr. LSU
Eric Stokes Georgia
Corey Straughter ULM
Patrick Surtain II Alabama
Ambry Thomas Michigan
Tariq Thompson San Diego State
Amechi Uzodinma Ball State
Shaun Wade Ohio State
Lamont Wade Penn State
Jalen Walker Boise State
Jermaine Waller Virginia Tech
Sterling Weatherford Miami (OH)
James Wiggins Cincinnati

[vertical-gallery id=8914]