Kaiir Elam CB Florida: Scouting Report
Height: 6’2’’
Weight: 191
Overall
Kaiir Elam is an outside corner in Florida’s heavy man coverage defense. In his 3 college seasons, he has played in 34 games, starting 26 of them. He is an excellent athlete and has the size, length, and speed to match up with any receiver at the next level.
Pass Game
Elam shows excellent technique and footwork at the line of scrimmage. He played a lot of press man coverage while at Florida and excelled in mirroring his man down the field, rarely allowing separation. He had the strength and technique to force his man to the sideline on deep routes limiting the passing window for the quarterback. Even with his excellent size and length, he also has the speed to play man on deep routes against fast receivers. At the catch point, he is very good at playing the ball and forcing incompletions. In zone coverage, he showed very good vision and football IQ to read the quarterback’s eyes and cover ground using his speed and quickness. He is excellent in coverage and has the potential to be a lockdown corner in the NFL.
Run Game
In the run game, Elam shows a lot of struggles. Even with his size, he is easily blocked by receivers, and he showed little effort in trying to get off blocks to get to the ball-carrier. He is very poor at making open field tackles and shows terrible tackling technique. On film, it looks like Elam avoids contact every chance he gets, and it resulted in multiple big plays for the offense. If he does not improve his technique and willingness to tackle, he will be an extreme liability in the run game and will really limit his ceiling as a player.
Last Word
Elam projects best as a number 1 outside corner with his excellent blend of size, speed, and technique. His coverage skills are pro ready, and he has all the intangibles to match up with very good receivers in the NFL early on in his career. However, his poor run support limits his ceiling and makes him a non-starter on special teams which limits his value.
One-Liner: Kaiir Elam has the physical makeup and technique to be a dominant corner in the NFL, but his poor run support will ultimately decide how far he goes in the league.
Grade: 6.7 (Solid Starter on All 3 Downs)
Games Watched: 2021 – Alabama, FAU, South Florida, UCF
Team Fits: Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles