The Buffalo Bills traded up in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft to land cornerback Kaiir Elam, but he has struggled to find a place in the league since then.
Elam has bounced around after the Bills traded him before the start of last season, ending up with the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason. He faces a challenge in making the final roster, one analyst predicts, with the Chiefs adding more competition in their secondary after some sweeping offseason changes.
Kaiir Elam Could Hit Open Market Again
ESPN reporter Nate Taylor predicted the Chiefs would keep six cornerbacks on their final 53-man roster, with Elam missing the cut. Taylor suggested the Chiefs would hit the trade market if they needed help rather than turn to Elam.
“In one offseason, the Chiefs swapped out Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson for [Mansoor] Delane, a rookie, and Williams, a second-year player,” Taylor wrote. “[L’Jarius] Sneed is an intriguing option if he can stay healthy, and [Chris] Roland-Wallace should receive the bulk of the snaps at nickel. If a team needs a veteran cornerback later this season, a trade option for them could be Fulton, who was steady late last season.”
Reporter Josh Edwards of CBS Sports sounded another warning for Elam, pointing out that the team brought in plenty of competition after trading McDuffie and losing Jaylen Watson in free agency. That has left the team with more capable defensive backs than roster spots to fit them all.
Elam came to the Bills as a first-round pick in 2022, but eventually lost his starting role to another player from his draft class — sixth-round pick Christian Benford, who has grown into a solid starter for the Bills since then.
The Bills traded Elam to the Dallas Cowboys last summer. He appeared in 10 games with seven starts, making 29 total tackles with one pass defensed. The Cowboys waived Elam in November and he later signed with the Tennessee Titans, appearing in four more games.
Bills Face Decisions in the Secondary
The Bills have overhauled their secondary since the departure of head coach Sean McDermott, parting ways with several longtime players including cornerback Tre’Davious White and safety Jordan Poyer — both of whom remain unsigned.
The Bills brought in more help at safety, signing veterans C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone.
ESPN reporter Alaina Getzenberg predicted that Stone would miss the final cut, losing out ot longtime safety Damar Hamlin.
“Hamlin has put together a solid camp,” Getzenberg wrote. “As he has done in years past, Hamlin’s availability and reliability in the summer have shown his value. He has been a most consistent backup with Gardner-Johnson missing time. This could be a close decision with veteran Geno Stone, while the special teams capabilities of Kilgore and Franklin are important.”
Former Bills Draft Bust CB Predicted to Get Cut Again This Summer