Patriots had their eyes on highly regarded cornerback at Florida Pro Day
The Patriots continue to look at potential additions for their secondary, including the 2022 NFL Draft. And recently, they took a close look at one cornerback in particular.
According to NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry, the Patriots “[had] their eyes on” Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam during the Gators’ Pro Day on Monday. Elam ranks at No. 32 on the “Consensus Big Board” at NFLMockDraftDatabase.com, where he’s the fifth-ranked cornerback overall. He also sits at 32nd in ESPN.com’s 2022 draft rankings.
Elam played 10 games in his junior year at Florida and finished with one interception and five pass breakups. In his sophomore year in 2020, coaches named him to the All-SEC First Team after he led the conference with 11 passes defended.
This would not be the first time Bill Belichick drafted a defensive back out of Florida. In 2019, the Patriots selected Duke Dawson from the Gators with the 56th pick in the second round. Belichick ultimately traded Dawson to the Broncos in 2019, before he ever played a game in New England. One would certainly hope the Patriots get a lot more out of Elam than Dawson, if they end up drafting him.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Belichick has left the NFL league meeting to return to the Pro Day circuit, along with Director of Player Personnel Matt Groh and Senior Football Advisor Matt Patricia. Belichick is a virtual lock to be in attendance at Alabama’s Pro Day on Wednesday. NFL.com has a full list of upcoming Pro Days.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at [email protected].
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