Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-Round Mock Draft: More Pieces On Defense

Round 1, 27th Overall: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida

As was just mentioned, the corner class is the 2022 NFL Draft looks fantastic at the top. There are six names who can be high quality starters, and several more who have potential, either at nickel or to start in the future.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers would do well to capitalize, especially because they’ll have multiple corners (including Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting) set to hit free agency in 2023. Get ahead to get a guy like Kaiir Elam, who has plenty of potential to hit a ceiling that clears the rest of the class.

Elam has the size, physicality, and ball skills to be a top corner for an NFL team. He’s patient in press, has good hand technique, and transitions very well for a player of his size. The ball production is evident, and he erased some top SEC receivers in his time with the Florida Gators.

It’s no secret that new head coach Todd Bowles likes to blitz, and that often leaves corners on an island, sometimes to defend some of the best receivers in the league. Elam would bring about more trust from Bowles to continue that philosophy, and he could quickly become a fantastic number two option after Davis.