The Baltimore Ravens currently have a treasure chest of picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft, as they are projected to have 10 selections, with nine of them coming in the first four rounds. Baltimore has many positions that they need to address this offseason, and the draft will help them build up even more young talent.
In his latest 2022 mock draft, Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports gave the Ravens some secondary help by drafting cornerback Kaiir Elam out of the University of Florida with the 14th overall selection. When explaining his choice, Wilson talked about how the Baltimore secondary was decimated with injuries and Elam has the size and athleticism to make an impact.
“The Ravens’ secondary has been decimated by injuries this season but Jimmy Smith is in the final year of his deal and Marcus Peters and Tavon Young are set to hit free agency after next season. It was a forgettable season for the Gators but Elam’s talents were hard to miss. He has the size (6-foot-2, 190) and athleticism to be one of the best draft-eligible corners.”
As Wilson mentions, Elam stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs around 190 pounds, so his size is ideal for a cornerback at the next level. He is the nephew of former Ravens first-round pick Matt Elam, and accumulated 78 total tackles and five interceptions in three years as a Gator.
Elam is a physical cornerback who uses his arm length to his advantage, and is able to disrupt his opponents’ timing at the line of scrimmage in a multitude of ways. He has good ball skills and plays with good eye discipline, but can sometimes struggle to wrap up ball carriers while tackling and be a factor in stopping the run.
There are some very talented cornerbacks in the 2022 class, including players such as Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner. However, Elam has the potential to be a high-impact player at the NFL level, and could turn into an instant playmaker as a professional.