2022 NFL Draft Recap: Three Florida Gators Selected

Photo: Kaiir Elam; Credit: Ben Green (BuffaloBills.com)

In its history, the Florida Gators had sent a total of 361 players into the NFL via the draft.

After the 2022 NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday, that number increased by three as the team sent cornerback Kaiir Elam (pick No. 23, Buffalo Bills), defensive lineman Zachary Carter (pick No. 95, Cincinnati Bengals) and running back Dameon Pierce (pick No. 107, Houston Texans).

The Gators sent a defensive lineman to the NFL via the draft for the 11th straight year, tied for the second-longest streak. Carter's selection also tied Florida for the lead (25 picks) among DLs from SEC schools in the first three rounds since 1967. 

Elam, meanwhile, kept Florida's streak of first-round selections alive at three years in a row. Florida has now had a player picked in the first round in nine of the last ten years thanks to the Bills' trading up for Elam.

Let's take a look at the selections themselves and how they fit with their new homes.

Round 1, 23rd overall: CB Kaiir Elam - Buffalo Bills

The Gators sent a cornerback to the NFL via the first round for the third time since 2016. The last corner to go in the first round out of Florida was CB CJ Henderson, who was taken ninth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Now, Elam becomes the latest to get the call and might be the best of the past few to reach this level of football when it's all said and done.

Elam, 6-foot-1, 191 pounds is a long, physical outside cornerback who will ultimately pair nicely with All-Pro CB Tre'Davious White in the Bills' defensive system. He excels in press-man coverage and has a knack for finding the football — although his interception numbers appear low, his number of defended passes are encouraging.

In 2020, Elam's best year at Florida, he accounted for two interceptions and 11 pass breakups, rarely being targetted as the team struggled against the pass in all other areas of the field. For the Bills, Elam will likely become a quick starter after the team lost CB Levi Wallace in free agency.    

He accounted for 26 total pass breakups in three years at Florida, along with six interceptions and 78 total tackles.  

Round 3, 95th overall: DL Zachary Carter - Cincinnati Bengals

Carter, perhaps one of the most respected Florida players on the roster over the past several seasons, is a versatile lineman who will fit in a variety of positions at the next level with the Bengals.

In five years at Florida, Carter would go on to play in 41 games, accounting for 107 total tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 career sacks. He played a variety of roles while at Florida, including as a defensive end, five-technique, and inside at defensive tackle, three-technique.

The added versatility was likely an appeal for the Bengals, who utilizes a 3-4 hybrid scheme, led by defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

"He's shown he can beat guards, but also tackles," Anarumo said via the team's website. "He's a defensive lineman through and through. He adds urgency to the room. Not that we don't already have it. Once he crosses the white lines, he's a tough guy."

Round 4, 107th overall: RB Dameon Pierce - Houston Texans

As predicted by our Zach Goodall, Pierce's fit with the Texans is obvious. The team lacks depth at the position with only Rex Burkhead and Marlon Mack currently on the roster along with Dare Ogunbowale. Mack and Ogunbowale were both free-agent signees this offseason.

Here is a snippet of what Goodall noted about Pierce and his fits with the Texans a week ago:

The running back room — frankly, every position on the Texans' offense — needs some young talent, even after re-signing one and signing two veterans in free agency to inexpensive deals. Houston's rushing offense ranked dead last in the league last year and needs massive improvement.

Pierce presents good value in the fourth round when the Texans own back-to-back picks, especially since Houston is set to have made five picks by this point.

Pierce developed into an extremely well-rounded running back at Florida over the years. He always impressed as a physical, downhill rusher who had a knack for making defenders miss, but Pierce grew immensely as a receiver and pass protector during the 2020-21 seasons when he took on a larger role in the Gators' offense. In 2021, Pierce scored a touchdown every 7.4 times he touched the ball.

Honorable Mention:

Though he wasn't on the team last season, Jackson State linebacker James Houston IV was selected by the Detroit Lions as an edge rusher at pick No. 217. Switching to primarily an edge player, Houston accounted for 70 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks.  

Houston, of course, played for the Gators from 2017 to 2020. He was suspended during his freshman season in 2017 but would go on to appear in 35 games over the following three years.  

Houston accounted for 103 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles during his time at Florida. He did his work with the Gators as an off-ball linebacker, playing in the middle of the defense, while adding versatility as a pass rusher.   

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