Kaiir Elam brings the heat when discussing what it's like playing on an island at the NFL Combine

Former Florida Gators defensive back Kaiir Elam hasn’t felt much pressure, despite his extremely high projection in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.

Elam, a 2020 first-team All-SEC selection, entered the 2022 NFL Draft after a relatively successful junior season, one that saw him amass 29 tackles (16 solo stops), five passes defended and one interception. But his performance in 2020 was enough to solidify his draft stock, as Elam finished the abbreviated 2020 campaign with 39 total tackles (28 solo stops), 11 passed defended, a fumble recovery and two interceptions.

Clearly, Elam — who frequently played one-on-one man coverage on the opponent’s best wide receiver — isn’t one to feel much pressure. And he confirmed that on Saturday at the NFL Draft Combine.

“I feel like playing on an island is something that nobody in the whole entire world would experience unless you’re out there. There’s nothing that anybody can possibly do to get that same exact feeling and that excitement,” Elam said. “For me, I feel like a challenge really motivates me and turns my game up to another level. So, I feel like being out there — I really get excited being on an island by myself because I feel like I’m better than everybody I play against, and I’m looking to dominate you because I know the work I put in. Not being cocky or arrogant, but I know the work I put in to really excel and go out there and dominate.”

Todd McShay: Roger McCreary, Kaiir Elam are top-tier CBs in draft

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay had some fun with Mel Kiper for leaving Auburn defensive back Roger McCreary and Florida defensive back Kaiir Elam off his latest mock draft.

On a scale of 0-100 — with the top seven prospects each receiving a grade of 94 — ESPN has McCreary and Elam both graded as a 90. In McShay’s first 2022 NFL Mock Draft, released in December, McShay projected McCreary to be selected in the first round, with the 23rd-overall pick by the Buffalo Bills, while Elam was projected to go slightly later in the first round, taken off the board with the 30th-overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals.

“Maybe you’re watching too much Big Ten and not enough SEC,” McShay said to Kiper. “The best conference in football produces the most NFL players and you have five cornerbacks in the first round, Kiper, but no Roger McCreary from Auburn and no Kaiir Elam from Florida.”

McCreary had 49 total tackles in 2021, just one year removed from a 45-tackle performance in the COVID-19 abbreviated 2020 season, logging five interceptions across the past two seasons. The 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back was a preseason second-team All-SEC honoree and had a strong senior season for Auburn.

Elam had a slightly less productive season for Florida, but the junior is still widely regarded as a fringe first-round pick. He logged 29 tackles in 2021, one year after putting up 39 in 2020. His 2020 performance, which came one year removed from earning All-SEC freshman team honors, earned him All-SEC first team honors. He tallied six interceptions in his three-year career at Florida.

“These are two press corners with length, really good on the perimeter matching up one-one-one and Elam is really good tackling in addition to his one-on-one cover skills,” McShay continued. “I was surprised both those guys not in your mock, first round.”

McCreary came to Auburn as a three-star recruit in the 2018 recruiting class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 101 cornerback in his class and the No. 34 recruit in the state of Alabama.

Elam, on the other hand, was a four-star recruit according to the On3 Consensus, making him the No. 6 cornerback in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 8 overall recruit in the state of Florida.