2022 NFL draft: 3 draft targets if the Raiders trade up
Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
If Ziegler is looking for the right player to fall before moving up, that player may just be Kaiir Elam.
With both Ya-Sin and Mullen now on the roster, Raider Nation may be questioning if trading up for a corner is the smartest move. Here’s the scoop: Both Mullen and Ya-Sin are on the last year of their rookie contracts, and as neither were a first-round pick, neither have a fifth-year option. The chances of Las Vegas throwing money at both are slim to none, so grabbing Elam for the future makes sense.
Of course, a logical response would be, “Why not wait until next season instead of trading up?”. I’ll fill you in on that scoop, too.
As the draft creeps closer, Elam continues to fall in various mocks. A large part of this is a product of draft circumstance; Specifically, the deepness of the draft.
In most years, it isn’t a stretch to say a corner with Elam’s skillset is a sure-fire first-round pick. In fact, there was a period where this applied to Elam. As others continue to rise, though, the Florida corner falls victim in most mocks. Now let’s not get too ahead of ourselves; A mock is simply a prediction. That said, there’s no denying the first-round talent’s stock is decreasing.
That’s where the Raiders can come in and take advantage of a first-round talent who may find himself falling due to all the other talent in this year’s draft.
If Elam is still sitting around in the mid-to-late stages of the second round, one team is going to be very lucky. Hopefully, that team is the Raiders, and they can have a young stud who’s now had a year of NFL experience and is ready to take on the role of a starting corner.
Elam is a skilled coverage corner who brings excellent ball skills to a secondary, reflected in his 5 interceptions and 20 pass breakups over his three years at Florida. This is a lockdown coverage-type corner; A player-type the Raiders haven’t had since Nnamdi Asomugha.
If the Silver and Black do snag the Florida star, they should be set at corner for years to come.