RD 1, Pick 23: CB Kaiir Elam, Florida

[Rochesterfan]

4 hours ago, PrimeTime101 said:

BPA is a MYTH until later rounds... how many times i been telling you guys that.. BPAAN  Best Player Available At Need. Period.

 

I don’t think that is quite true with the Bills.

 

How about Best Player Available base on Need and Positional Value (BPABNPV).  I think they look at need and value and I base that on the fact that Beane clearly stated that if CB is the Best Player - he would draft another corner.  There is not the need, but it is a huge positional value position - especially with the WR movement.

 

I expect there will be other positions available, but it is part of the reason I laughed at RB in Rd 1 because the need may be there, but the value clearly wasn’t.

 

 

[Hebert19]

5 minutes ago, H2o said:

Picking the best players of not so great teams is a staple of this regime.  They get more out of them when surrounded by more talent. 

[strive_for_five_guy]

7 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

interesting. Any reason for that? 
 

by the way, I think joe Haden graduated from Florida.

Correct.  Lito Sheppard another not on the list.

[HOUSE]

I will choke the next guy who says Elam is "long"

 

Geeez.......long???

 

 

[H2o]

5 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Picking the best players of not so great teams is a staple of this regime.  They get more out of them when surrounded by more talent. 

I'm good with the pick. The kid has a tremendous athletic profile, had a top 5 coverage rate over his time during college (IN THE SEC), and is going to be learning from, as well as going against some of, the top guys in the NFL in practice alone. There sure are a lot of tears flowing around here in this thread though.  

Edited April 29, 2022 by H2o

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

5 minutes ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

Correct.  Lito Sheppard another not on the list.

Good call. Lito was great.  I actually always thought Florida was known for producing very good DB’s. 

[LabattBlue]

Bottom line…CB was a MAJOR need.  Forgot Tre being healthy come September(where Elam could then slot nicely as CB2), what if he is not? The secondary would be a disaster. I don’t like pissing away a 4th rounder to move two slots, but clearly the Bills did not feel comfortable that he would last two more picks. 
 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by BTB

[HOUSE]

This guy is still very young but he is a freak

[hemma]

Just now, HOUSE said:

This guy is still very young but he is a freak

 

Agree on that. 

Only 20 years old and with our DB coaching staff along with his desire to learn, could become a great player.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

13 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

That’s odd. Plus Booth, Gordon, and Elam were always the talked about CBs for the Bills 

 

They will probably draft another one before the draft is over.

Don't remind me

 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

9 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

I will choke the next guy who says Elam is "long"

 

Geeez.......long???

 

 

They mean He has length 

[machine gun kelly]

I watched Elam a lot in college as UF is on every week in Tampa, and he is solid and quick.

 

Im sure McD’s coaches will need to develop him and any College CB is not necessarily NFL ready day 1.  Everyone will want him on the field right away, but Dane may start in September even if Tre is good to go.

[SoCal Deek]

My prediction came true. After all the hype around the draft when it came time for the Bills to pick they ran to the podium, threw a fourth round pink in the trash can on the way, and selected a kid who made me utter my annual…”who?”.  This is not a criticism of OBD but more of me. It shows that I don’t have a clue. 😉

[billieve420]

56 minutes ago, colin said:

im confused as to why they made the trade for the so few slots move.  im sure there is a reason, i just can't figure it out.

 

based on what is happening here, i think we draft a safety in 2nd or 3rd, and for some reason i think from the big 10.  

 

i keep whining that we have a schematic issue w our d,  and that our stats are sort of better than our play on d (certainly with respect to how we perform in big games vs tough teams), but it's pretty clear our FO values D above all else except QB.  the resources dropped into DL and D overall on this team over the past 3 years, when our D was good to start with kinda shows me how they are running this thing.  i expect us to be more aggressive on D next season, perhaps by a big amount.

With the run on CBs and WRs. I am sure they didn’t want to leave anything to chance if Elam was last player with 1st round grade at position being targeted. KC GM essentially said that was their reason for trading up to 21 for McDuffie was that they didn’t want to lose him to the Bills. Buffalo did the same to prevent someone else from trading up in front of them to take Elam.
 

It is a long shot for any mid to late round draft pick to make this team with the roster being stacked. Now if the Bills were rebuilding I would be more hesitant to make a move like this. However, team is in win now mode and it is Super Bowl or bust despite what is said. I could see them packaging some late round picks to move up in the 2nd as well wouldn’t surprise me.

Edited April 29, 2022 by billieve420

[nucci]

Just now, SoCal Deek said:

My prediction came true. After all the hype around the draft when it came time for the Bills to pick they ran to the podium, threw a fourth round pink in the trash can on the way, and selected a kid who made me utter my annual…”who?”.  This is not a criticism of OBD but more of me. It shows that I don’t have a clue. 😉

None of us do

[RichRiderBills]

27 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

interesting. Any reason for that? 
 

by the way, I think joe Haden graduated from Florida.

 

I did not go back that far. 

 

The culture at UF Football has been problematic for a long time. A lot of entitlement and self interested players. Problems are not his alone, but under Mullen the team lacked discipline and had no structure. It's at a near all time poor level. Rough years for UF ahead.

 

Many of these players get by on talent, get sheltered in a coddling environment, then sputter when they get in environments that challenge them. 

 

Frankly, this has not been just an issue for UF DBs...it's hit all positions.

 

Believe me, most the guys listed had GREAT combine and draft grades. 

Edited April 29, 2022 by RichRiderBills

[MrEpsYtown]

Elam is long. He is tall nearly 6-2. His arms are "short" so to speak at 30⅞", but considering his arm length, his wingspan is huge by relation 76½". That is a bit longer than Tre White's 76.125 inches. So next time we have the arm length conversation, I am thinking wingspan is more important to these guys. 

[CountDorkula]

People mad that the Bills gave up a 4th Rd pick. lol.

 

Drafted a position of need, hopefully the kids game translates. 

[HappyDays]

 

[Sierra Foothills]

7 hours ago, HappyDays said:

1) Football character

2) Length

3) Skill set built for zone

4) Athletic upside

 

He checks all the boxes.

 

5) Pedigree (Dad and Uncle)

6) Youth (20 years old)

7) Fills a major roster hole

 

6 hours ago, Governor said:

Well, we got the last Option at CB on our board after McDuffie was snagged away from us. No one can say it was the guy “we wanted.” He was the guy “we needed”’ since the others were gone. We made the pick based strictly on need as opposed to BPA. 

 

There’s really no reason to make excuses about any of it. KC sneakily clowned us with the help of NE. It happens. We’re the hunted now and didn’t see it coming.

 

We’ll have the last laugh.

 

If you account for the Bills' habit of drafting elite physical traits and high RASs in the 1st round (Josh, Tremaine, Rousseau), you would doubt the Bills had McDuffie ranked ahead of Elam.

 

6 hours ago, BobbyC81 said:

I don’t understand the whole thing.  McD always says his CBs need to tackle and of the top CBs, Elam had a specific negative by Lance Zierlien of “weak run support”.  Booth, who was still available, was noted for great run support and tackling.  They could’ve just stayed at 25 and taken Booth.

 

Booth? The guy who wasn't drafted in the 1st round?

 

4 hours ago, BringMetheHeadofLeonLett said:

Looking at the Bills coaching staff with DB's reminds me a lot of what the Dodgers do with pitchers.  If  Zierlein's write up here is close to accurate, this is all fixable.. except maybe the run D/tackling- that'll be up to his teammates to correct and inspire.  Sounds like a 2 year project who is going to get thrown into the fire day 1, whether he likes it or not:

 

By Lance Zierlein

NFL Analyst

Draft Projection

Round 1

NFL Comparison

Jaylon Johnson

Overview

Elam is the next up in a long line of talented Florida cornerbacks, but he failed to play his best football in his final collegiate season. He is patient and strong to mirror and impede releases but inconsistent staying connected to the early stages of the route. He plays with good awareness in zone and has the twitch and length to make plays on the throw when squatting in space. He was beat on deep patterns against Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia, which might have led to excessive grabbing and an overall lack of trust in his technique on the 2021 tape. He plays big at the catch point but smaller in run support. Elam has early CB3 and eventual CB2 value as a press and zone corner.

Strengths

Desired size, length and strength for press man.

Well-balanced with ability to crowd and stuff the release.

Patient feet rarely fall for release fakes.

Able to swivel hips and pursue with fluidity.

Mirrors shifting routes with basketball agility.

Rarely bites on the cheese against double moves.

Allows receiver to close the cushion for him in Cover 3 and quarters coverage.

Squeezes deep sideline routes with physicality.

Contested catches are typically tilted in his favor.

Solid transition quickness to plant and drive on the throw.

Some improvement in his tackling on 2021 tape.

Weaknesses

Loses his leverage unnecessarily.

Allows a little too much clearance early in the route.

Needs better open-and-sprint timing when squatting underneath.

Vertical specialists can overtake and stack him.

Inconsistent digesting route combinations.

Too much panic and grab in his 2021 tape.

Can improve his eye balance between the man and the ball.

Doesn't play to his size in run support duties.

Inconsistent coming to balance as open-field tackler.

 

I've seen this posted numerous times in this topic. I like Zierlein a lot but he's not infallible. Like all these guys he's wrong a fair amount.

 

4 hours ago, sirebors said:

Do you not understand that it was possibly Baltimore the Bills were mainly concerned with and not Dallas. Baltimore was willing to deal and could have been actively taking offers from multiple teams interested in Elam. You don't just have to be concerned only with Dallas. 

Baltimore was shopping the pick! How do you not understand this? It's not Dallas you had to be concerned with, it's the other 30 teams in the league. 

 

It's amazing how many people here are struggling with this rather simple concept. It's not like we're talking about the shape of the universe here.

 

4 hours ago, Old Coot said:

Elam should fit in nicely.  He has two relatives who played in the NFL so he knows the score.

 

My only concerns are that he missed three games last season because of a knee injury and that his play was a bit inconsistent.  

 

Why come out after a junior season like that?

 

Because he was confident he'd be drafted in the 1st round so it made zero sense to stay another year and risk a catastrophic injury.

 

3 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

Is it weird to say that Elam's play reminds me of Leodis McKelvin.....

 

5'10" 185 pound Leodis McKelvin?

 

Elam reminds me more of Patrick Peterson than Leodis McKelvin.

[SoCal Deek]

The silver lining better be that Elam starts from Day One. If you move up, and spend an additional mid round pick, to get a guy at a position of need, he better be able and ready to play. 

[Virgil]

25 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

I will choke the next guy who says Elam is "long"

 

Geeez.......long???

 

 

Elam is long

 

 

Harder Daddy

[RichRiderBills]

17 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

Good call. Lito was great.  I actually always thought Florida was known for producing very good DB’s. 

 

Lito Sheppard was 20 years ago. There were some solid college DBs back then but most of them did not pan out. Reggie Nelson was 15 years ago. Haden was 12 years ago.

[machine gun kelly]

1 minute ago, CountDorkula said:

People mad that the Bills gave up a 4th Rd pick. lol.

 

Drafted a position of need, hopefully the kids game translates. 

The Gabe Davis example is an outlier with a great GM in Beane in the 4th.  Just like Diggs and Milano are outliers in the 5th.  

 

Beane made a calculated move to ensure the CB he rated as a true #1.  I don’t look back on that one.  We still have excellent talent in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and can get solid players.  I wouldn’t be surprised at all of Beane thinks the target is worth it to move up in either round with our 5th, two 6’s, and as I said before we draft a punter in the 7th.

[billsbackto81]

2 hours ago, TBBills said:

You don't even know what you're talking about. 

What else is new 😂

3 hours ago, 1ManRaid said:

 

And if Elam becomes All Pro?  What if, what if, what if...

Time will tell. Everyone knows you can't really judge a draft class until you've seen your players perform for at least 3-4 years. Posters here are always saying you can't draft for need, gotta go with BPA. Well Elam was a need. If you go by most if not all prospect rankings he was well behind players like Lloyd, Johnson and Booth. 

 

Elam may very well turn out the best of the bunch and I hope that's what becomes reality. But as of today you can't tell me or anyone else that's the case.

[billieve420]

Just now, RichRiderBills said:

 

The culture at UF Football has been problematic for a long time. A lot of entitlement and self interested players. Problems are not his alone, but under Mullen the team lacked discipline and had no structure. 

 

Many of these players get by on talent, get sheltered in a coddling environment, then sputter when they get in environments that challenge them. 

 

Frankly, this has not been just an issue for UF DBs...it's hit all positions.

 

Believe me, most the guys listed had GREAT combine and draft grades. 

Reading up on Elam seems like kid has his head on straight and is the type of Football player the Bills love. He comes from a family who has played in the league and I expect him to be able to handle the challenges that come with playing in the NFL. Love seeing him request that the Bills playbook be on the plane with him as he travels to Buffalo. 
 

This was a good read about a player who is not satisfied with losing and takes it personally as motivation to improve his game and those around him.

 

https://www.gatorsports.com/story/football/2021/09/21/kaiir-elam-wants-put-rest-notion-florida-gators-any-way-satisfied-moral-victories/5795501001/

[CountDorkula]

3 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

The Gabe Davis example is an outlier with a great GM in Beane in the 4th.  Just like Diggs and Milano are outliers in the 5th.  

 

Beane made a calculated move to ensure the CB he rated as a true #1.  I don’t look back on that one.  We still have excellent talent in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and can get solid players.  I wouldn’t be surprised at all of Beane thinks the target is worth it to move up in either round with our 5th, two 6’s, and as I said before we draft a punter in the 7th.

This is what I dont geat about this draft "Not a lot of good 1st rd talent and Loaded in 3rd 4th rds" do not seem to fit together.

 

Trade up again if you have to.

 

I'm still all aboard the Hall train, get a game breaking RB.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

25 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

Good call. Lito was great.  I actually always thought Florida was known for producing very good DB’s. 

Florida hasn’t been developing NFL starters for a few years. Their program fell off. But it really doesn’t mean anything.

[ALF]

Bills gave up Round 4, Pick No. 130:  well worth it for this CB  . Have to hit on 2nd and 3rd

[Chandler#81]

 

[RichRiderBills]

2 minutes ago, billieve420 said:

Reading up on Elam seems like kid has his head on straight and is the type of Football player the Bills love. He comes from a family who has played in the league and I expect him to be able to handle the challenges that come with playing in the NFL. Love seeing him request that the Bills playbook be on the plane with him as he travels to Buffalo. 
 

This was a good read about a player who is not satisfied with losing and takes it personally as motivation to improve his game and those around him.

 

https://www.gatorsports.com/story/football/2021/09/21/kaiir-elam-wants-put-rest-notion-florida-gators-any-way-satisfied-moral-victories/5795501001/

He played in the bowl game too. Which for a draftable UF player was reassuring. Probably the historic all time low of UF this year.

 

I will root for Elam and hope I'm wrong. But I don't like the pick. I guess in Beane we trust. Elam is coming into a great environment.

2 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Florida hasn’t been developing NFL starters for a few years. Their program fell off. But it really doesn’t mean anything.

 

We "hope" it does not mean anything.

[Pags24]

Like everyone else don't love giving up a 4th but if Elam turns out to be a starter no one is going to care 

[H2o]

For all of the talking heads on here who just KNOW Elam was the wrong pick, I suggest you click the link and read the scouting report below. Thank you..... That is all.

 

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tre'davious-white/32005748-4954-7699-8d1e-4952613e94ee

 

Quote

Full-time starter for better part of four years and one of the premier mirror-and-match cornerbacks in the game. Has the feet, athleticism and instincts for prolonged coverage responsibilities and his twitch will always have him near the throw. Best suited for all forms of man coverage. Should compete as special teams performer. Lacks run-support physicality to be an every-down corner, but he's talented enough to challenge for slot duties right away.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

23 minutes ago, RichRiderBills said:

 

I did not go back that far. 

 

The culture at UF Football has been problematic for a long time. A lot of entitlement and self interested players. Problems are not his alone, but under Mullen the team lacked discipline and had no structure. It's at a near all time poor level. Rough years for UF ahead.

 

Many of these players get by on talent, get sheltered in a coddling environment, then sputter when they get in environments that challenge them. 

 

Frankly, this has not been just an issue for UF DBs...it's hit all positions.

 

Believe me, most the guys listed had GREAT combine and draft grades. 

interesting. I used to feel the same way about Texas players under Mac Brown. Super soft and coddled— one of the reasons I didn’t like our infamous Mike Williams pick.

 

15 minutes ago, RichRiderBills said:

 

Lito Sheppard was 20 years ago. There were some solid college DBs back then but most of them did not pan out. Reggie Nelson was 15 years ago. Haden was 12 years ago.

thanks for reminding me that I am getting old! 

[CNYfan]

59 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I don't see any Levi Wallace there other than they both have good eye discipline. Leodis was a good athlete who sometimes struggled with his transitions, that is the similarity I see. 

Body type much different than Leodis, closer to Levi

[BobbyC81]

9 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

McDuffie has tiny arms.  I doubt it.

You made me envision a T-Rex.

 

🦖

[Awwufelloff]

Big, tall, fast, good head on his shoulders. Wants to be a part of the process. Whats there not to love of his kid? I love the pick. Don't like trading up, but if you want to get your guy I have no problem with giving up a 4th. 

[BobbyC81]

42 minutes ago, BTB said:

Bottom line…CB was a MAJOR need.  Forgot Tre being healthy come September(where Elam could then slot nicely as CB2), what if he is not? The secondary would be a disaster. I don’t like pissing away a 4th rounder to move two slots, but clearly the Bills did not feel comfortable that he would last two more picks. 
 

 

 

Having seen Embedded for a prior draft, Beane does tend to panic a little when he liked a guy (Ford, Knox)

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, RichRiderBills said:

Here are the last great 1st and 2nd round DBs from Florida...

 

CJ Henderson, Keanu Neal, Duke Dawson, Quincy Wilson, Teez Tabor...Vernon Hargreaves, oh and terrible Matt Elam.

 

all busts...

 

 

I do think it is a legit question mark. That said of all the above the only one I liked was Duke and even he got taken way ahead of where he should have been. But that defense has had a habit of sending guys to the pros from the secondary who have struggled to adjust. None of them have had Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier though. If Elam is a good kid and works hard and listens he can buck the trend. 

[The Jokeman]

I don't mind the player but question the trade up. Yet I wouldn't be shocked we end up getting a pick back in a trade down somewhere today.