RD 1, Pick 23: CB Kaiir Elam, Florida

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

You are probably right about the agent, but it goes back farther than that. This is when having a father and uncle who played in the league is a benefit. I’m sure Kaiir’s father taught him about self-improvement and how to go about it as a DB. The agent or someone surely told him to share this tool he uses with pro-personnel during the pre-draft process. Either way it is exactly the type of player and person McD and we want on our team. 

I agree.  And, as someone pointed out, father and uncle are the agent.  One's a lawyer, which helps a lot.   

 

Plus, as you say, having a father and uncle who played in the NFL increases the chances that the kid was getting good advice about what it takes to make it in the league.  

 

I just loved the look of Beane and McDermott both staring at that notebook.  You know McDermott wanted to see what was in it, because it was great evidence of what kind of thinking the kid was doing analyzing his own work, particularly his failures.  I think Elam said he kept notes on guys who beat him.  McDermott doesn't want guys who watch their own highlight reels; he wants guys who are trying to learn from their failures.  

 

I don't know if Elam will be ready to start day one, but I think the Bills have to put him out there pretty quickly, because he's the guy they want in the lineup in December.

[jkeerie]

21 hours ago, Doc said:

 

That's funny.  I thought the same thing (i.e. about Pegula being sure he got the team) the other day.

 

And no one likes to pay more than they have to.  Do you think the Ravens liked having to use the 4th rounder they got from the Bills on a punter?  Nope, but to be sure they got the guy they wanted, they spent more than they wanted to.

Beane is on One Bills Live and when Tasker asked him about regrets in the draft, Beane said that on the decision to trade up in the 1st, he said that teams knew the Bills were looking at corner and knowing that, he thought teams may try to jump the Bills to get one.  If they had and the Bills didn't get their guy, he would have regretted that.  Said he slept better having Elam in hand, even though watching the 4th round, he was wishing he had the pick back.  However, he said that had he stayed with pick 130, that is where he would have picked Shakir.  So...they got the guy they wanted anyway, 18 picks later.

[RocCityRoller]

21 hours ago, Don Otreply said:

That notebook showed a lot on Elam’s behalf, shows he is willing to look at the things he didn’t get right on top of his success, total process guy.  Any coach has got to appreciate that aspect of a player’s character. 
 

Go Bills!!!

 

I was completely blown away when I saw the notebook in the interview video. Talk about detail oriented! That is also a lot of useful scout info for a number of WR who just got drafted or will likely be drafted in the next year or so. McDermott and Frazier will probably love having that intel.

 

He even went on to say this is how he got beat, why and what he would do differently. Talk about detail oriented and able to be coached. No wonder Bills brass wanted this young man. I think he is in the perfect situation to be the best CB he can be in the league.

[PrimeTime101]

 

Some points of interest I got out of this highlight reel.

#1. He had a couple PI that would of been called in the NFL

#2. People have knocked this dude for not being physical enough at point of contact? not sure if I agree with that assessment 

#3. This guy played some great Man and Zone.

#4. This dude not only had some INT's in his college career but they were AMAZING int's and this highlight reel does not cover all of them.

#5. He needs to watch his hand checking. 

#6. We needed speed in our backfield and we got it. Against a pro like Hill? I would use his speed double covering Hill and Tre on the other side. 

#7. He does not fall for the fakes to often... rare as a CB.

 

thoughts?

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, jkeerie said:

Beane is on One Bills Live and when Tasker asked him about regrets in the draft, Beane said that on the decision to trade up in the 1st, he said that teams knew the Bills were looking at corner and knowing that, he thought teams may try to jump the Bills to get one.  If they had and the Bills didn't get their guy, he would have regretted that.  Said he slept better having Elam in hand, even though watching the 4th round, he was wishing he had the pick back.  However, he said that had he stayed with pick 130, that is where he would have picked Shakir.  So...they got the guy they wanted anyway, 18 picks later.

 

I don't believe it was ever about Dallas. Was about Tennessee IMO. Because as soon as the Bills picked Elam Tennessee traded out of the round and then at the top of the second they picked Roger McCreary. Elam and McCreary both played a lot of press man in college. It makes sense. The Bills were worried Tennessee having already got their receiver at #18 was going to jump up for a corner. 

[John from Riverside]

2 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I don't believe it was ever about Dallas. Was about Tennessee IMO. Because as soon as the Bills picked Elam Tennessee traded out of the round and then at the top of the second they picked Roger McCreary. Elam and McCreary both played a lot of press man in college. It makes sense. The Bills were worried Tennessee having already got their receiver at #18 was going to jump up for a corner. 

Didnt think about Tenn that makes sense.

 

I find it interesting that people wanted to give the draft away for sauce but had such a problem moving up and just giving up a 4th rounder to make sure they got their guy.

[jkeerie]

3 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I don't believe it was ever about Dallas. Was about Tennessee IMO. Because as soon as the Bills picked Elam Tennessee traded out of the round and then at the top of the second they picked Roger McCreary. Elam and McCreary both played a lot of press man in college. It makes sense. The Bills were worried Tennessee having already got their receiver at #18 was going to jump up for a corner. 

That makes perfect sense and I agree.  They weren't worried about Dallas but some other CB needy team.

[Shaw66]

30 minutes ago, PrimeTime101 said:

 

Some points of interest I got out of this highlight reel.

#1. He had a couple PI that would of been called in the NFL

#2. People have knocked this dude for not being physical enough at point of contact? not sure if I agree with that assessment 

#3. This guy played some great Man and Zone.

#4. This dude not only had some INT's in his college career but they were AMAZING int's and this highlight reel does not cover all of them.

#5. He needs to watch his hand checking. 

#6. We needed speed in our backfield and we got it. Against a pro like Hill? I would use his speed double covering Hill and Tre on the other side. 

#7. He does not fall for the fakes to often... rare as a CB.

 

thoughts?

Pretty good assessment.  The handchecking and PI will get cleaned up.   He was just playing as aggressively as the game would permit.  

 

Excellent in man.  Correct about how he reacts to fakes.  

 

Some reports question his tackling, and maybe he's inconsistent, but he attacked the ball carrier aggressively on several of these highlights.   It isn't like he can't do it. 

[John from Riverside]

Just now, Shaw66 said:

Pretty good assessment.  The handchecking and PI will get cleaned up.   He was just playing as aggressively as the game would permit.  

 

Excellent in man.  Correct about how he reacts to fakes.  

 

Some reports question his tackling, and maybe he's inconsistent, but he attacked the ball carrier aggressively on several of these highlights.   It isn't like he can't do it. 

The big plus for me is competition level......Elam is covering guys that are expected to be top receivers for their NFL team.  He is coming from some small cool and hope that talents translate to competition at the NFL Level.

 

The negatives are coachable......I mean he is going to McDermott for christ sake

[Shaw66]

14 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

The big plus for me is competition level......Elam is covering guys that are expected to be top receivers for their NFL team.  He is coming from some small cool and hope that talents translate to competition at the NFL Level.

 

The negatives are coachable......I mean he is going to McDermott for christ sake

Yeah, you put it all together, and it seems extremely unlikely that this guy is going to be anything but solid from the get go and get better after that.  

[The Dean]

30 minutes ago, jkeerie said:

That makes perfect sense and I agree.  They weren't worried about Dallas but some other CB needy team.

 

Gunner's theory makes sense. But I'm not sure Beane was worried about a specific team taking Elam. I think he was worried about ANY team taking him before their 25th pick---Cowboys and Titans included.

34 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

Didnt think about Tenn that makes sense.

 

I find it interesting that people wanted to give the draft away for sauce but had such a problem moving up and just giving up a 4th rounder to make sure they got their guy.

 

 

Seriously. People get really all involved with a particular players' hype and go all in. Get that guy no matter what it costs.  Ridiculous. 

[Alphadawg7]

34 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Pretty good assessment.  The handchecking and PI will get cleaned up.   He was just playing as aggressively as the game would permit.  

 

Excellent in man.  Correct about how he reacts to fakes.  

 

Some reports question his tackling, and maybe he's inconsistent, but he attacked the ball carrier aggressively on several of these highlights.   It isn't like he can't do it. 

He is a willing tackler, and that is what matters most.  His tackling issues are about technique, and that can easily be taught and corrected.  Getting a DB mentally wanting to make the tackle is a whole other issue, and luckily not something Elam has.

 

I have a lot of confidence in this kid becoming a very good to great corner in the NFL.

[GunnerBill]

42 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Pretty good assessment.  The handchecking and PI will get cleaned up.   He was just playing as aggressively as the game would permit.  

 

Excellent in man.  Correct about how he reacts to fakes.  

 

Some reports question his tackling, and maybe he's inconsistent, but he attacked the ball carrier aggressively on several of these highlights.   It isn't like he can't do it. 

 

The not falling for fakes - whether pumps or play action is literally the first thing I wrote in my word doc when I started watching Kaiir's tape back in January. It is really noticeable how well he reads the game. Maybe all that note taking he does?

[Augie]

31 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

He is a willing tackler, and that is what matters most.  His tackling issues are about technique, and that can easily be taught and corrected.  Getting a DB mentally wanting to make the tackle is a whole other issue, and luckily not something Elam has.

 

I have a lot of confidence in this kid becoming a very good to great corner in the NFL.

 

There is literally no better place for him to be and get coached up, IMO. I can’t wait to see what they can bring out of him given his physical traits and attitude. 

[Shaw66]

21 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

The not falling for fakes - whether pumps or play action is literally the first thing I wrote in my word doc when I started watching Kaiir's tape back in January. It is really noticeable how well he reads the game. Maybe all that note taking he does?

The brain is a remarkable device.  I think that note taking isn't just to have information on a guy the next time he sees him.  The act of the note taking keeps the subjects top of mind, so when he's playing, he's naturally thinking about preventing those things that go wrong.   

 

I was amazed at the video.   He looks almost like a dance partner following the receiver's lead.  And on top of that, both his speed and his length allow him to recover from the instantaneous advantage the receiver gets on the cut.   He's terrifically focused on what's happening, and he reacts quickly. 

 

I was trying not to get too excited watching him, but he looks like he's a better pure cover corner than Tre.   If he is, McDermott will have his dream lineup:  "You four guys up front, go get the QB.  Tre and Elam, you blanket the two wideouts.   You other five guys, run around, wreak havoc, and get the ball."

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

The brain is a remarkable device.  I think that note taking isn't just to have information on a guy the next time he sees him.  The act of the note taking keeps the subjects top of mind, so when he's playing, he's naturally thinking about preventing those things that go wrong.   

 

I was amazed at the video.   He looks almost like a dance partner following the receiver's lead.  And on top of that, both his speed and his length allow him to recover from the instantaneous advantage the receiver gets on the cut.   He's terrifically focused on what's happening, and he reacts quickly. 

 

I was trying not to get too excited watching him, but he looks like he's a better pure cover corner than Tre.   If he is, McDermott will have his dream lineup:  "You four guys up front, go get the QB.  Tre and Elam, you blanket the two wideouts.   You other five guys, run around, wreak havoc, and get the ball."

 

He has the capacity to be a better 1v1 corner than Tre. The thing that makes Tre absolutely special is his precision in zone - drops, spacing, eye discipline, are basically unrivalled in the league. Elam reminds me a bit of Marlon Humphrey who did have a bit of a down year playing hurt in 2021 but has been absolutely elite for the Ravens prior to that and one of the best 1v1 corners in football. The transitions are still the thing that worry me most in Elam's coverage. Getting turned and in and out of breaks. That is all just technique that can be smoothed out. And I think if you solve that the hand fighting and grabbing will solve itself. Because when he gets grabby is generally when he has given up some leverage from the receiver being sharper out of the transition and then he panics a bit. He is not, to me, as ready to play and be a stud day 1 as Tre was. But he can be a capable starter day 1 and his physical capacity means there is plenty of ceiling there. 

[Shaw66]

31 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

He has the capacity to be a better 1v1 corner than Tre. The thing that makes Tre absolutely special is his precision in zone - drops, spacing, eye discipline, are basically unrivalled in the league. Elam reminds me a bit of Marlon Humphrey who did have a bit of a down year playing hurt in 2021 but has been absolutely elite for the Ravens prior to that and one of the best 1v1 corners in football. The transitions are still the thing that worry me most in Elam's coverage. Getting turned and in and out of breaks. That is all just technique that can be smoothed out. And I think if you solve that the hand fighting and grabbing will solve itself. Because when he gets grabby is generally when he has given up some leverage from the receiver being sharper out of the transition and then he panics a bit. He is not, to me, as ready to play and be a stud day 1 as Tre was. But he can be a capable starter day 1 and his physical capacity means there is plenty of ceiling there. 

And an important part of the process is that he's going to have Hyde, Poyer, White, and Johnson all talking to him.  

 

I heard McDermott talk about it once, early in his career here, and he was essentially talking about what happened at the Patriots all those years.  Although the coaches all tell you every year is a new year, and they start the install from ground zero every year, but the reality is the defensive backfield will be working at a pretty high level almost from day one.  Somehow, by guys talking and by osmosis, the youngsters get drawn up to the level of the veterans, and the better rookies fit in pretty quickly.   That is, unless they're stupid, but Beane generally seems to be doing a good job screening out the guys who aren't smart enough or coachable enough.  He's getting learners, which is what McDermott wants.  

 

My target is November-December.  I want White back at full speed by then, and Elam fully integrated.   He'll still be making mistakes here and there by then, but if it works correctly, by the time they hit the playoffs, Frazier and McDermott should have an incredibly talented and versatile defensive backfield.   And if Bernard actually can play, there are going to be defenders flying to the ball all over the field. 

 

And #40.   My, my.  Who'd have thought that #40 would show up?

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

 

 

[PrimeTime101]

3 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Pretty good assessment.  The handchecking and PI will get cleaned up.   He was just playing as aggressively as the game would permit.  

 

Excellent in man.  Correct about how he reacts to fakes.  

 

Some reports question his tackling, and maybe he's inconsistent, but he attacked the ball carrier aggressively on several of these highlights.   It isn't like he can't do it. 

so im trying to watch some of his games... i have watched 2 games so far... not one time did I see him try a lame tackle or not react well to a tackle... Sometimes scout reports are duplicated so many times, that unless you watch the dudes games... you would believe them. I think he is a fine open field tackler and I think by the time the dusk has settled at the end of the year... they either let him man the #2 wr and play mixed man/zone (many teams do this) or they play zone on his side and let trey man up... bottom line if he turns out to be a really strong #2... you can do so much more on defense. When Tre went down... we were stuck in zone hell

[Simon]

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

He has the capacity to be a better 1v1 corner than Tre. The thing that makes Tre absolutely special is his precision in zone - drops, spacing, eye discipline, are basically unrivalled in the league.

 

Don't sell Tre short on his ability to turn the ball over either, particular at key moments.

A handful of corners have that natural ability to take it away, whether it's from laying bait in their own matchup, or reading and rolling to somebody else's or timing the uppercut just right.

I don't think folks have seen much of that out of Elam yet, but Tre's got it in his blood.