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NFL Draft: Top Five Ravens Draft Busts

By Ben Palmer

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the stage and podium before the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the stage and podium before the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens strong safety Matt Elam (33) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens strong safety Matt Elam (33) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Matt Elam – S, Florida, 2013 NFL Draft, First Round, 32nd Pick

The year after the Ravens won their second Super Bowl, they decided that the secondary needed some help and that Matt Elam was the guy to do it.

He had a decent combine, showing that he was a guy who had a lot of speed and physical talent, but it never culminated into much.

Now, before I lay into him too much, Elam is still around, he’s only 25, and he could turn things around, but that’s unlikely in all honesty, especially after his arrest in Florida.

In the past three years, Elam hasn’t shown much. What he has shown is that he is a poor tackler. He’s been near the top of the league in missed tackles, and far too often goes for the big hit rather than just wrapping up.

He’s also shown a lack of urgency, he seems uninterested in furthering himself as a player. He was rated very poorly by Pro Football Focus, specifically as the second-worst safety in the league in 2014.

Just about every stat you can find on Matt Elam is not a good one. Whether it’s QBR allowed (around 118 in 2014) or missed tackles, Elam has not developed into what you would expect out of a first-round pick.

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