Gators’ trend of first-round NFL draft picks continues. Kaiir Elam drafted 23rd by Bills
Kaiir Elam, like so many before him, wasted little time making his presence known in the Florida Gators’ secondary. He had three interceptions as a freshman, including a fourth-quarter grab in their Orange Bowl win over Virginia to cap his first season of collegiate football.
His steady rise through his three years has him in familiar territory for UF standouts: First round NFL draft pick.
The Buffalo Bills drafted Elam with the 23rd overall pick on Thursday, making Elam the 20th first-round pick out of UF since 2007. That list features six defensive backs. Among that group: Matt Elam, Kaiir Elam’s uncle who was drafted No. 32 overall by the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.
The Gators have had at least one player drafted in the first round in 14 of the past 16 drafts, the exceptions coming in 2012 and 2019.
Elam, a former four-star prospect at North Palm Beach’s Benjamin School, finished his three-year UF career with 79 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, 26 defended passes and a fumble recovery. He was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the top defensive back in the country, as a sophomore after finishing tied for fourth nationally with 13 defended passes.
“He is patient and strong to mirror and impede releases but inconsistent staying connected to the early stages of the route,” reads NFL analyst Lance Zierlein’s breakdown of Elam. “He plays with good awareness in zone and has the twitch and length to make plays on the throw when squatting in space.”
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