LOREN MEADOWS: Kaiir Elam Keeps Gators’ First Round Legacy Of No. 1 Draft Picks Intact
By LOREN MEADOWS
GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst
Since 2013, the Florida Gators have had at least one player drafted in the first round in the National Football League Draft in all but one year. The 2019 draft would see five Florida Gators drafted but none in the first round.
In that draft Jawann Taylor would be the 3rd pick of round two by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the drafts to follow, former Gator CJ Henderson was taken with the ninth pick of the first round in 2020 by the Jaguars. 2021 would see the Gators have the most players drafted since 2017, highlighted by Kyle Pitts becoming the highest drafted tight end when he was taken fourth by the Atlanta Falcons and Kadarius Toney going to the New York Giants as the 20th overall pick
.
This year’s draft class for the Florida Gators is a mixed bag of talented, often injured, yet underused athletes that —based on their skill sets — could-be contributors on NFL rosters for multiple seasons.
The highest rated prospect of the class was cornerback Kaiir Elam, who held his breath Thursday hoping for that first round bid, but realizing it was perhaps dicey.
He could finally exhale about 2/3rds of the way through round one when the Buffalo Bills picked him at number 23.
Elam brings a high level of intelligence and personality to the cornerback position which blends with obvious athleticism and physicality. Steady as a freshman contributor, Elam burst onto the scene with a game-sealing interception in Florida’s 2020 Orange Bowl victory over Virginia.
The last two years, Elam prospered as a physical boundary corner who covered some of the nation’s best wide receivers. At 6-1½ 191 pounds, Elam possesses the size and strength to play with leverage at the line of scrimmage. His intelligence and feel for the game allow Elam to be patient against release moves, and mirror routes post releases.
While many NFL passing games rely on cornerbacks to “take the bait,” Elam allows his eyes to maintain focus and rarely go for the double moves which he’ll frequently see at the next level. While only having five career interceptions in three years at Florida, Elam has an extremely high success rate when defending contested catches. This number can also be representative of opposing quarterbacks looking away from him to attack other defenders.
Where Elam will need to improve is in evaluating the route combination of NFL offenses. In addition, Elam’s physicality could become a curse at the next level as the grabbing and holding allowed at the college level will draw immediate penalties on Sunday afternoons.
Elam was clocked at 4.39 at the NFL combine and has plenty of top-end speed for the NFL. The key will be to not panic and use his hands excessively when dealing with some of the better vertical threats of his future opponents.
Most importantly, Elam brings high character to a franchise exhibited by his academic success at Florida as well as his role as the Gators representative on the SEC Football Leadership Council. Prior to the draft, many experts had Elam as a sure-fire first round draft pick anywhere from pick 23 to 31 with the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Bengals as possible landing spots.
Two other former Gators are intriguing prospects in the 2022 Draft albeit for different reasons:
Running Back Dameon Pierce: Weight room giant Dameon Pierce may have been one of the most underused athletes at Florida. It may be this limited usage that leads NFL teams to look at Pierce as early as the second Round. With only 329 carries in 39 games with the Gators, Pierce has shown the ability to stay healthy and available which is a premium at the pro level. Pierce is a downhill runner who processes running lanes quickly and rarely hesitates. He is a willing blocker in pass protection and finishes most runs. Pierce averaged a touchdown (13) every seven touches in 2021, and despite a small but solid physique (5-10, 218 pounds) has a knack for finding room on short yardage and in small spaces. The gift of limited usage could also be a curse as many teams may box him as a situational back as he only carried the ball ten or more times in nine career games. Draft experts have Pierce going as high as 29th to the Dolphins with the Eagles, Lions, Bears, Jets, Chiefs, and Falcons in Rounds 3 or 4.
Linebacker Jeremiah Moon: At 6-5 and 248 pounds, Moon has intriguing length, athleticism, and range. While his development from edge rusher to linebacker was limited by three season ending injuries while at Florida, he has always been admired for his high level of character and the ability to prepare. A “team-first” guy, Moon could be an instant contributor on special teams who could develop into a situational passing down linebacker. Moon, while not always in position, is a sure tackler when presented the opportunity. His 40-inch vertical leap and 4.55 20-yard shuttle will keep many NFL front offices intrigued by his potential if health and lack of development are no longer an issue. Look for a Day 3 (sixth or seventh round) call for Moon with the Patriots, Jaguars, Bengals, Steelers, or Raiders.
Other Possible Gator Draftees
--DL Zachary Carter: Potential backup, eventual starter. Round 3 or 4 Seahawks, Vikings, Packers, Browns, Buccaneers.
--RB Malik Davis: Practice Squad, special teams, possible 3rd down back. Round 6 or later undrafted. Cowboys, Vikings, Patriots, Buccaneers.
Thanks for your good summation of Kaiir, Dameon and Jeremiah’s draft prospects. Two days into the draft we’ve seen Elam go in the first round and Zach Carter in the third. I have not seen any speculation about Malik Davis as a serious late-round prospect, though interestingly there have been some forecasts that Jean DeLance will be a 7th rounder. DeLance improved a lot last year over his previously inconsistent performances. Most Gator fans who commented had long before defined him negatively and overlooked his 2021 step up. i think Pierce, then Moon and perhaps DeLance get selected by the last round today.