NFL Draft 2022 tracker: Live blog and pick-by-pick analysis
With so much uncertainty at boundary cornerback and after failing to address it in free agency, the Bills didn’t want to wait around. General manager Brandon Beane moved up two spots Thursday night to select Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam in the NFL Draft, immediately giving them a building block in the defensive backfield for 2022 and beyond.
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“We had a big grade on Kaiir, and we were down to one first-round grade on our board,” Beane said Thursday night. “I was more worried about someone trading in front of us knowing that we needed a cornerback.”
The Bills sent their first- and fourth-round picks (Nos. 25 and 130) to the Ravens for No. 23. Elam made his way into the starting lineup as a freshman at Florida and kept the role through the last two seasons. He had 26 pass breakups with six interceptions in his college career.
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Big board ranking: Elam was ranked No. 45. He was the fourth cornerback selected in the 2022 draft. Of the available cornerbacks, Elam ranked only below Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. in Dane Brugler’s Top 300.
Introduction: Forgoing an agent, Elam chose to represent himself because, “When you have the answers to the test, you’ve got to use them.” He’s referring to his father, Abram Elam, now functioning as an adviser and manager, and uncle Matt Elam, another close confidante. They were big-time recruits who played in a combined 145 NFL games, and thanks to their input, Kaiir has carried himself as a pro since emerging as a top-50 prospect in high school.
“He’s a self-motivator to the point that he competes against himself,” former Florida cornerbacks coach Jules Montinar said. “I texted him after he ran the 4.39 at the combine and he was pissed that he didn’t run faster.”
How he fits: Elam steps in as a boundary cornerback in the Bills’ scheme and will immediately challenge for a starting job, but he’s a long-term asset the Bills hope to pair with star cornerback Tre’Davious White for the foreseeable future. Even if he doesn’t have the usual arm length the Bills invest in at the position, he makes up for it with his nearly 6-foot-2 frame.
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“We think he’s got a high ceiling,” Beane said shortly after the selection. The team believes Elam has the ability to do a little bit of everything in their scheme, from zone to press-man to off-man. Even though they prefer to play zone coverage predominantly, the Bills wound up playing the eighth-highest rate of man coverage in the NFL in 2021. Having a versatile player like Elam can help them in the future.
In the short term, the Bills will hope Elam can make up for any time White has to miss after tearing an ACL in late November. The Bills have been tight-lipped about when White will return, but Elam gives them a super-talented insurance policy for 2022.
Second guess? With some veteran cornerbacks still on the free-agent market, the Bills could have considered going for an instant boost to their offense or a long-term replacement at safety with Jordan Poyer’s contract expiring after this year. Iowa State running back Breece Hall seems to be a perfect fit for everything the Bills would like to do offensively. Georgia’s Lewis Cine is a versatile safety who could have seamlessly slid into Poyer’s role beginning in 2023. Hall will be available on Day 2, but the Vikings drafted Cine with the last pick of the first round.
Rookie impact: The Bills were quick to point out they’re not going to force rookies into the starting lineup, a statement that lines up with their general history under coach Sean McDermott. Since 2017, only three drafted players have been coast-to-coast full-time starters in their first season. Elam will need to earn his place in the starting lineup once the Bills are at full health.
The Bills like Elam’s versatility but did note that he needs to work on his tackling and said they brought it up to Elam in one of their visits. Brugler wrote that Elam is an “eager run defender” but that he also “needs to be a better wrap-up tackler to consistently finish guys to the ground.” That will be one of the biggest learning curves of his rookie season.
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Depth-chart impact: Unless the Bills add a veteran option at cornerback, Elam will likely open the season as a starter opposite Dane Jackson until White is fully healthy. Once White returns, Elam will be in competition with Jackson for the second starting spot.
Fast evaluation: This is an excellent schematic fit for the Bills and the most significant investment Beane has ever made at cornerback. Not even 21 years old, Elam also fits into the Bills’ age profile of first-round picks. The Bills hope that Elam can develop into a long-term dependable starting option with the potential for more.
(Photo: Steve Mitchell / USA Today)
