Kaiir Elam compares Bills advantage to time at Florida

On3 image — BUFFALO, NY - APRIL 29: Buffalo Bills NFL first round draft pick Kaiir Elam is welcomed by teammate Josh Allen (in 17 jersey) and fans during an NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Chicago Blackhawks April 29, 2022 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kaiir Elam;JoshAllen

Buffalo Bills 2022 NFL Draft first-round pick Kaiir Elam is ready and prepared to get on the field at his new home. During the press conference to introduce Elam, the rookie compared going up against All-Pro Stefon Diggs to some of his former Florida Gators teammates.

“Most definitely. Without a doubt,” said Elam when asked if it’ll help to go against Diggs and the high-powered Bills offense. “At the University of Florida, I got boatloads of NFL receivers I went against every day in practice. You got Van Jefferson, Kyle Pitts, Freddie Swain, Kadarius Toney, the list goes on; a lot of good receivers and tight ends. I think going against Diggs and everybody else in the receiver core and the tight end core is something I look forward to. Pushing those guys, and I’m sure that they’ll push me back.”

Elam tallied three interceptions as a true freshman before starting all 12 games in 2020 and posted a team-high 11 pass breakups, along with 39 tackles and two interceptions. His 2020 season earned him first-team All-SEC honors from the SEC coaches. In 2021, Elam missed three games with a knee injury, but recorded 29 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups in the ten games he was able to start.

“I don’t think it’s gonna be a cakewalk and I don’t think it’s gonna be too hard either. I’m saying I’m confident in myself and my abilities and I can’t wait to practice ’cause I think I’m an ultimate competitor and I’m sure those guys are too. So, I look forward to it.”

Lovie Smith, Nick Caserio address why Texans decided to draft Florida product Dameon Pierce

Houston Texans’ fourth-round draft pick Dameon Pierce earned a reputation during his time at Florida for exploiting lanes in the defense and scoring touchdowns, and Texans head coach Lovie Smith expects more of the same to happen as Pierce begins his NFL career in Houston.

“We drafted Dameon in mind with having a guy that can get yards in between the tackles,” Smith said. “He is a tough football player, confident football player. We feel like we have a role for him.”

Pierce was PFF’s highest graded running back in 2021 with a 92.0 overall mark while leading all backs with a 93.5 rushing grade. In his first two years with Florida, he played in 25 games as a backup, rushing for 729 yards and six touchdowns. Pierce earned the starting spot for the Gators in 2020 and led the team in rushing with 503 yards and four touchdowns. In 2021, he only started one game, but led the team in rushing touchdowns with 13 on the ground. He also scored another three touchdowns receiving last season.

The Texans currently have six other running backs on their roster, including the team’s leading rusher Rex Burkhead, who finished with just 427 yards last season and averaged 3.5 yards per carry. Despite returning Burkhead, Texans general manager Nick Caserio wants Pierce to push for starting minutes as a rookie.