2022 Chiefs Draft Prospect: Kaiir Elam

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NAME: Kaiir Elam

POSITION: Cornerback

SCHOOL: Florida

HEIGHT: 6’1”

WEIGHT: 191 pounds

CAREER BACKGROUND

A native of Riviera Beach, Florida, Kaiir Elam attended Benjamin High School. He comes from a family who holds previous football pedigree. For example, his father, Abe Elam, played college football at Notre Dame and Kent State and spent seven seasons in the NFL. Kaiir’s uncle, Matt Elam, also played college football at Florida and was a first-round pick (32nd overall) of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons with the Ravens.

He was a three-sport star in high school. Outside of football, Elam played basketball and ran track. On the gridiron, he played both defensive back and wide receiver. He recorded 71 tackles, nine interceptions and three sacks on defense over the course of his high school career. Meanwhile, Elam had 97 receptions, 1,490 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns over those four years. He received over 40 different offers to play college football. This included Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Miami (FL), Notre Dame and Ohio State. Eventually, he opted to play at Florida for the Gators.

Three-Year Cover Man

After joining the Florida program, Elam immediately made an impact as a true freshman in 2019. He appeared in all 13 games and made five starts. In total, Elam had 11 tackles, four passes defended (tied for second-most on the team) and three interceptions. He was able to help Florida finish seventh best in scoring defense across the nation (15.5 points). On top of that, Elam was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.

In 2020, Elam was a starter for all 12 games. He finished with 39 tackles, 11 pass breakups, two interceptions, one tackle for loss and one fumble recovery. The breakout season allowed Elam to earn first-team All-SEC honors from the coaches.

He then started nine games in his final season in 2021. In all, Elam had 29 tackles, five pass breakups, 1.5 tackles for loss and one interception.

SCOUTING REPORT

Instead of listing positives and negatives for traits, this year we will be listing the best trait of each prospect and work our way down to the biggest area of improvement/absent trait(s), from top to bottom.

Competitiveness

Elam is extremely physical when he wants to be. Thus, he makes throwing receivers off balance or frustrating them easier than it should look or be. Not all cornerbacks have that same confidence or calmness. Plus, the ability to rely on a hot motor and extreme effort allows him to stick with opposing pass catchers in all areas of the field. Elam displays a nice balance of having a short memory and being able to go all out on every rep. That is a bonus for a team to have within their defense.

Length

We know that in today’s NFL, teams are longing for cornerbacks that have massive length. That is especially true for defenders that are covering on the outside. Not only does Elam have that length, but he does not limit how often he attempts to use that to his advantage. Being able to get into the opponent’s chest is something that he does very well. Meanwhile, this cornerback has also improved when it comes to extending his arms fully at the catch point. That has led to more steady ball production for Elam.

Football IQ

The anticipation against routes and the opponent that he is covering is probably where Elam shines the most in this area. There is also incredible foot and eye discipline that this cornerback has constantly showed. For example, Elam has remained patient and collected against double moves or fakes from wide receivers. He has focused on keeping a deep hip sink and adequate balance as well, allowing his change of direction skills to flourish. Finally, the timing of Elam’s transitions and breaks make him a pest at the catch point.

Ball Skills

His timing and technique of playing the receiver’s hands stands out heavily. Elam is rather poised in these moments and controls his hands very well. To boot, he also has stellar hand placement to slice in between the opponent’s hands or to keep that front hand to the inside of the receiver’s frame. His hands are soft, and Elam routinely plucks the ball away from his chest when an opportunity nears. Certainly, the ball production is something that could grow for him as he continues to extend his professional career.

Coverage Skills

Let’s start with this player’s man coverage skills. First off, Elam is smooth and patient when asked to press in man coverage at the line of scrimmage. He is not as assertive as say other cornerbacks are. For instance, Elam will wait to bite or infuse the press against opponents. That can force opposing receivers to take even longer in getting out of the blocks and into their route, so to speak. Elam sustains advantageous leverage when in man coverage. He will also work to throw subtle, quick jabs or pushes into the opponent’s chest, as he looks to frustrate them before the ball reaches the catch point.

While in zone coverage, the aforementioned patience of Elam baits quarterbacks into hurried or rushed throws. His ability to read their eyes and jump the throwing lanes is usually pinpoint, as a result. There are certainly times where Elam can be a bit late and hesitant by being a ball watcher. Yet, he maintains splendid body control and body positioning between he and the receiver, allowing him to recover in space.

Athleticism

Elam possesses solid functional athleticism. Mainly, his lateral quickness and short area burst is where he wins the most. Elam will not have too much trouble when needing to turn and run down the field. Due to his fluid hips, there are times where he has to recover urgently once opposing wide receivers get on top of him. With that, Elam can be hit or miss when attempting to stay close to the receiver’s hip with long speed.

Tackling

Elam shows willingness and awareness as a tackler. That especially shows up if he is the last hope for his defense and he tries to chase down an opponent on an explosive play to help save a touchdown. However, Elam is just far too wild with his tackle attempts. He comes in either too low or too high. There is not much force within his tackle attempts either. Lastly, Elam is also inconsistent when it comes to executing a wrap up technique.

Versatility

Overall, Elam is an outside only cornerback. There is definitely plenty of comfortability in his ability to thrive in both zone coverage and man coverage, though. However, there may still be some scheme limitations as he enters the NFL level. Elam may not be as scheme diverse as other cornerbacks in this particular draft class. Being able to press often in man coverage may suit him better. Whereas in zone coverage, Elam may be built more for a Cover 2 scheme.

CHIEFS FIT

The Kansas City Chiefs have not invested highly at the cornerback position under this current regime. Now, that may have to change, given the fact that all other AFC West teams have deep pass catching groups. Kaiir Elam may be someone who interests the Chiefs, due to his build. The size, physicality and length make him an imposing defender on the outside. Kansas City presses at the line of scrimmage and relies on man coverage responsibilities heavily. Elam can utilize speed and ball skills in those moments and frustrates both receivers and quarterbacks alike. Sooner or later, the Chiefs are going to have to add a stud outside cornerback.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs draft prospect profiles throughout this spring. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.