It seems inevitable at this point that the New York Giants will be moving on from Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry. According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, the Giants are “desperate” to move Bradberry. So desperate, in fact, that they are willing to take on a portion of his salary in any trade that could be made. But of course, trading James Bradberry means trading away one of the best and most talented players on the Giants’ roster. This is a hole the team would need to fill in the 2022 NFL Draft. Could Florida cornerback prospect Kaiir Elam fill that void in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft?
The Giants have two top-ten picks in the first round of this year’s draft. There is some buzz that the Giants are interested in using one of those picks on top cornerback prospect Ahmad Gardner. But if the Giants opt to go offensive line and pass-rusher in the first round, they could look to bolster their secondary in round two.
What could Kaiir Elam bring to the New York Giants?
New defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale runs a fast-paced, physical defensive scheme. He likes his linebackers to be enforcers in the running game, his edge rushers to be active pass-rushers, and his cornerbacks to be physical in press-man. Kaiir Elam out of Florida is an uber-physical cornerback prospect that could fall in the Giants’ lap in round two.
Kaiir Elam ranks 39th overall on The Draft Network’s 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings. He also ranks 29th on Pro Football Focus’s Big Board. Elam is a 6-foot-2, 191-pound cornerback. He plays physical in coverage and stood out against some of the best schools in the SEC.
Kaiir Elam allowed 19 catches from 36 targets for 191 yards last season. He has that size/length combo that NFL teams drool over, along with a competitive attitude that seems bound to pay off in the pros. The Giants would be able to fit Elam perfectly in their new man-heavy defensive scheme.
#Gators CB Kaiir Elam (#5) is being massively undervalued in this draft class despite being one of the better players at his position.
Elam is feisty in man-to-man coverage, using his arm length to create problems at the catch point. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/oTCYEWfnwo
— Nick Price (checkmark) (@PriceCheck3) March 24, 2022
If Elam has somewhere to improve, though, it would be his tendency to get grabby in coverage. Kaiir conceded seven penalties in 2021. This is something that a good coach can fix, though. NFL coaches will see past his penalties and appreciate the physicality with which Kaiir Elam plays. If the New York Giants do indeed trade James Bradberry, Kaiir Elam seems like a perfect replacement in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.