Right now, Kaiir Elam stands out as a wild card in a Buffalo Bills secondary that has always been characterised by consistency and high-caliber play.
Since head coach Sean McDermott took over in the 2017 NFL season, the team has mostly used the same defensive backfield: Tre’Davious White was the team’s lockdown cornerback, with a rotating cast of players starting opposite him on the boundary over the years. Josh Hyde and Jordan Poyer manned the safety spots. In the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the team traded up to choose Elam, an athletic defensive back for the Florida Gators, in an attempt to shut that door; however, the strategy hasn’t worked out since the 23-year-old has already appeared in only 16 career regular season games over the past two years and has largely struggled to earn the trust of Buffalo’s coaching staff given his aggression.
Trying to get younger all around, the Bills reorganised their secondary in the 2024 offseason, cutting Hyde, Poyer, and White. Although Elam now has a chance to establish himself as the team’s main depth corner, the moves don’t necessarily change the team’s plans at cornerback, as Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas finished the 2023 season as the team’s starters and are expected to carry the load again in 2024.
It seems like the third-year defender is off to a great start. ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg commended Elam in a recent piece that highlighted one player from each team who stood out at minicamp. She noted that Elam made significant progress throughout the spring workouts.
Elam demonstrated significant progress and potential during the offseason, highlighted by his strong performance and multiple interceptions. Despite being a backup due to injuries in his first two years, Elam now has a new position coach and valuable playing time on the field. With the absence of key players like Douglas and Benford at various sessions, Elam has the opportunity to showcase his abilities in the upcoming training camp. While Douglas and Benford are currently favored to start, Elam’s development and talent could potentially challenge their positions on the depth chart. The team is not necessarily expecting Elam to secure a starting role, but rather aims for him to be a dependable backup, a role he seems capable of excelling in. The coaching staff has provided Elam with a fresh start, and he appears to be making the most of this opportunity.
