Overall
Personally, when I think of my ideal safety, my mind immediately turns to indimidating forces like Ronnie Lott, Jack Tatum, Brian Dawkins. While Matt Elam has his flaws, he fits that playing style perfectly. Although the game has changed over the years, having rangy, instinctive safeties who can cover sideline-to-sideline, and are willing to step up and lay the wood in run support can be extremely valuable. IE; the 49ers with Whitner and Goldson. Matt Elam is the most violent hitter in the draft, but isn't just a head hunter. He's an extremely smart player with a high football IQ who knows where the ball is going, and where he needs to be. He's got the athleticism to cover the middle of the field, and is strong in run support evidenced by his 75+ tackles the past two season. The question mark with Elam comes in whether he can hold up in man coverage at the next level. His hips can prove to be a little stiff, as he doesn't change directions to turn and run as well as you would like. His footwork, and technique in that area are things that can be coached and taught to a large extent though. Because of his limitations in coverage, Elam isn't a fit for every team, but any team looking to get more physical on defense should jump to pick this guy up. He should be a mid-to-late 1st round pick to a team like St Louis or Denver.
