Elam declares for draft

By
Ethan Hughes
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Gators junior cornerback Kaiir Elam declared for the 2022 NFL Draft on Monday morning.

Elam finishes his college career with six interceptions, 26 passes defended and 79 tackles in 35 games, including 27 starts.

The Riviera Beach, Florida, native made an instant impact as a freshman in 2019. He started five games and tied for second on the team with four passes defended. He was one of the seven true freshmen in the FBS to intercept three or more passes.

He sealed the Gators’ victory over Virginia in the Orange Bowl with a spectacular interception down the sideline and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Elam started all 12 games during the 2020 season and broke up 11 passes. The coaches selected him to the All-SEC First Team, and he was also named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

His final season with the Orange and Blue didn’t go quite as well. He missed three games with a knee injury and only intercepted one pass all year. He only broke up five passes, as opposing offenses opted to attack the Gators elsewhere.

Elam is considered one of the top cornerback prospects available in the draft and shows up as early as mid-first round on some mock drafts.

Ethan Hughes
Ethan Hughes
Ethan was born in Gainesville and has lived in the Starke, Florida, area his entire life. He played basketball for five years and knew he wanted to be a sportswriter when he was in middle school. He’s attended countless Gators athletic events since his early childhood, with baseball being his favorite sport to attend. He’s a proud 2019 graduate of the University of Florida and a 2017 graduate of Santa Fe College. He interned with the University Athletic Association’s communications department for 1 ½ years as a student and also wrote for InsideTheGators.com for two years before joining Gator Country in 2021. He is a long-suffering fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars. You can follow him on Twitter @ethanhughes97.