Kaiir Elam Summer Scouting Report

Next up on our summer scouting series War Room Scouting goes to the sunshine state to take a look at Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam.

Background

The sport of football has always been around Kaiir Elam’s life. Growing up in Riviera Beach, Florida, Elam was raised in a football rich environment and family. Players such as 3 time pro bowler Anthony Carter and legendary punt and kick returner Devin Hester originated from Riviera Beach giving the city a sense of pride when it came to the sport of football. Not only would Elam be raised in a city that adored football but also a family that embraced it. Elam is the son of Abram Elam, a former safety in the NFL that would go on to play for 8 years in the league. Kaiir would also have his uncle Matt Elam be a 1st round draft pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. With Kaiir Elam growing up with the game of football he wants to continue the tradition of successful football players from Riviera Beach and also continue the football tradition that is instilled in his family.

In order to carry on this tradition Elam would stay in his home state of Florida and would choose to play football for the Florida Gators. He looks to follow in line with other first round cornerbacks that played for the Gators such as Lito Sheppard (2001, Philadelphia Eagles), Joe Haden (2010, Cleveland Browns), Vernon Hargreaves III (2016, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and C.J. Henderson (2020, Jacksonville Jaguars).

Elam would enter Florida with an above average recruiting grade as an in state prospect. According to 247 Recruiting Rankings Elam was given a consensus 4 star rating and was the 6th best cornerback overall and the 7th best player in the state of Florida in the 2019 class.

Entering the 2019 season Elam would begin his college career backing up future NFL cornerbacks C.J. Henderson (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Marco Wilson (Arizona Cardinals). While Elam would not start in every game he would make the most of his opportunities when rotating into the defense. In his first season Elam would appear in all 13 games making 5 starts finishing his year with 10 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and 4 pass deflections. His efforts in the season contributed to an 11-2 record and would show his talent and future potential in the Capital One Orange Bowl against Virginia where he would make a game sealing interception helping Florida to a 36-28 victory. His freshman contribution would be noticed by coaches around the league as he was named to the Coaches Freshman All - SEC Team.

With the departure of first round cornerback C.J. Henderson entering the 2020 season Elam was given the responsibility of handling the outside cornerback job as a full time starter. Elam would confirm his talent and potential in 2020 as he would start all 12 games and recorded 39 total tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 11 pass deflections (Highest in the SEC). His starting campaign in 2020 season would contribute to an 8-4 record and an appearance in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners. Elam’s efforts would fall just short as Florida would struggle in the bowl game on both sides of the ball leading to a 55-20 loss. Despite the loss at the end of the season Elam’s impact was seen around college football as he would be a Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist (An award given to the best defensive back in the FBS) and was named to the Coaches All - SEC First Team.

Entering the 2021 season Elam will look to build upon his strong 2020 campaign to increase his value to both the Florida Gators defense and as a future NFL Draft prospect.

Positives

Utilizing length at the line of scrimmage

Looking at Elam pre snap it is hard not to notice this length that he possesses at the cornerback position. Coming in with a tall and long frame coaches at Florida have understood to deploy Elam close to the line of scrimmage to maximize his physical capabilities. In press man coverage situations Elam utilizes his length well to aggressively attack and setback receivers looking to form their release post snap. Because of the aggressiveness at which Elam jams receivers he consistently shocks their positioning to dictate a certain leverage. Commonly playing to protect inside leverage Elam does a good job forcing an outside release making the path of separation very difficult for the opposing receiver. Elam understands this as he uses his disruptive length and the sideline to pin the receiver in a disadvantageous position. In situations where Elam is aligned slightly off the line of scrimmage, he still utilizes his length as a weapon to redirect and control the movement of the receiver in front of him, this makes Elam a pesky cornerback to receivers looking for inside leverage.

Disruption / ball skills in coverage

Having the length to control the leverage of receivers as the foundation of Elam’s play, he also makes life difficult for receivers at the catch point. Length not only comes to Elam’s advantage when jamming but also when he faces incoming passes in both man and off coverage. When defending against a receiver in man coverage Elam consistently stays attached to the receivers’ hip against short to medium routes making any space for receivers that don’t possess quickness at the position tight and difficult. As Elam locates passes in his direction, he displays effective length utilization to jump inside the catch point of the receiver to dislodge incoming passes. This makes Elam a disruptive presence in the short passing game as his propensity to crowd windows with his length and timing skills makes him a counter against offenses that rely on attacking defenses with quick passing concepts. While Elam is productive in terms of pass deflections against short and medium routes he is also effective when the ball is up for grabs in deep one on one situations. Because of Elam’s long arms he has been able to outstretch receivers in contested catch situations to intercept passes at it’s high point. This ability has given Elam two consecutive seasons with 2 interceptions.

Willingness as a tackler

As Elam excels in shutting down and limiting the opposition in coverage, he also sets the tone as a tackler. As most cornerbacks are cautious and apprehensive about coming up field for a tackle Elam is the opposite of this mindset. In pass sets Elam consistently finds himself in the thick of a tackle especially on passes underneath. Elam shows good straight-line speed to transition out of coverage and make his way to the pass catcher. Despite Elam’s longer frame he is able to get low and square as a tackler often carrying his speed into the tackle. This had made him a reliable player when quarterbacks decide to check down passes in his vicinity as he is able to trigger downhill with an urgent mindset. In run sets is where Elam’s true aggression and energy as a tackler comes out. Against the run Elam is not afraid to attack and push back receivers blocking for the running back on the perimeter. His aggression against blockers has led him to disrupt the flow of a run play often making the first tackle on the running back. In situations where Elam is unblocked, he shows good pursuit speed and willingness to be physical against backs despite their bigger size. Elam’s willingness to tackle makes him a reliable player on the backend to assist any plays that break down or if the front seven need assistance bringing down an opposing ball carrier.

Negatives

Change of direction in transition

While Elam is effective when he can jam receivers at the line of scrimmage, he does have some difficulty coming out of his stance when trailing out into coverage when his jam is countered. Instances where this is displayed in man coverage is when Elam is matched up with a quicker / twitchier receiver that can craft up quick and sudden releases often beating any form of a press attempt. These receivers have been able to get the best of Elam as they are able to gain leverage quicker than Elam leaving him in a late and compromising position. When beat off the line Elam’s change of direction is delayed and stiff leaving substantial space for the opposing receiver to attack. Elam will need to improve his change of direction ability to counter quicker receivers.

False steps in off coverage

Reps in off coverage is where a noticeable blemish can be found in Elam’s game. In situations where Elam is mirroring receivers away from the line of scrimmage, he has a habit of compromising his stance before receivers even make their breaks out of their stem. This leads to receivers gaining an advantage when reading the leverage given from Elam’s stance. Whether it’s inside or outside routes, receivers understand how to attack the false steps given by Elam in off coverage. Because of this Elam makes himself a reactionary player rather than an instinctual one in off coverage. He will need to refine this blemish in 2021 to be a more consistent player in off coverage moving forward.

Games Watched

vs Ole Miss (2020), vs South Carolina (2020), vs Texas A&M (2020), vs Alabama (2020).

Scheme Fit

A pure outside cornerback that can operate in both a press man scheme and an off-coverage zone scheme such as a Cover 3 that maximizes his length, ball skills, and tackling ability.

Grade

1.1 (Top 10 Player).

Pro Comparison: Patrick Surtain II

Elam’s pro comparison is recent 2021 Denver Broncos first round draft pick Patrick Surtain II. Elam’s and Surtain’s traits both match up as they both have noticeable length for the position and know how to use it to control the leverage and positioning of receivers. They also are very willing and physical as tacklers setting the tone on the back end for their respective defenses. Elam will look to follow a similar trajectory as Surtain II positioning himself as a top ten player in the 2022 NFL Draft class.

Final Summary

Kaiir Elam is a cornerback that sets a certain tone when he plays the game. Having the length and aggressiveness in man coverage to disrupt releases at the line of scrimmage and the ball skills to make key deflections and interceptions at the catch point he carries a skillset that is very valuable. Paired up with his energy and willingness as a tackler Elam makes himself very diverse and multidimensional for defensive coordinators. As Elam continues to develop, he will need to get quicker in his change of direction skills and limit lapses of hesitation in off coverage. If Elam can fix these errors in his play he is a cornerback that will be highly valued at the next level and should see himself as a top 10 draft pick.