The Buffalo Bills selected cornerback Kaiir Elam with their first-round pick of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, and the very next day, the Gators alum was on a private jet to Orchard Park.
During Elam’s first visit to One Bills Drive as an official member of the team, he received a FaceTime call from none other than superstar quarterback Josh Allen. An exclusive video of this special moment was shared by the Bills’ official Twitter account on Monday, May 2, which instantly got fans hyped for the 2022 NFL season to start.
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It’s not official until you get a welcome FaceTime from @JoshAllenQB. 😁 #BillsMafia
In the video, Elam, 20, does his best to remain cool while speaking to Allen. “What’s up, bro! Hey, I’m ready to go to work man. How are you?”
“Let’s f****** do it, man,” Allen responds. “Happy for you. Happy to get you. I’m excited to get to play against you in camp… We gonna test you out.”
“Yeah, okay. Good luck,” Elam claps back with a hint of playful taunting. The Bills quarterback then invites Elam to join him and the boys at the Buffalo Sabres game that night, during which Allen proudly introduced the young defensive stud to fans at the KeyBank Center.
Happiness. Josh Allen introduces first round draft pick to Buffalo. Welcome 🙌
In addition to Allen, tight end Dawson Knox and wide receiver Gabriel Davis joined Elam at the Sabres game.
Bills GM Traded Up 2 Spots In Ordet to Draft Elam
In order to snag Elam at No. 23, Bills general manager Brandon Beane traded up, exchanging their No. 25 and 130th picks to the Baltimore Ravens.
Elam ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and throughout his tenure in Gainesville, recorded 78 total tackles, 26 pass breakups, and six interceptions. After watching two of the top four cornerbacks get selected in the first four picks and the Kansas City Chiefs trading up to land corner Trunt McDufffie at No. 21, Beane knew he had to make a move for Elam.
Kaiir was always the guy. 😎
“We had had a good grade on Kaiir, and we were down to one player in the first round on our board, and so at that point, it just made sense,” Beane said. “We’re not sure what those teams ahead of us would have taken, but there was a lot of trade action going on too. It just felt like it was within striking distance.”
“Obviously, I’ve been hearing it loud and clear that we don’t have a corner from every single one of you,” Beane joked. “Neighbors, kids, everyone, so we’ll all sleep good tonight that we got a corner.”
Traded up and got our guy. 👊
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“We really felt like he’s going to be a great fit in our defense,” Beane continued. “He’s got some versatility in the sense that he can play off, he can play press, he gives us a little size, a little length. He’s got speed if we’re in press-man, anything like that. So, I think it’ll give (defensive coordinator) Leslie (Frazier) more options with what he can do with him.”
Elam Said He Wants to Have ‘Immediate Impact Right Away’
In a Zoom interview with the media after his selection, Elam said he had a feeling he might end up in a Bills jersey. “Once I got to Buffalo… I just felt something special,” he said.
“I feel like it was an environment I could go in and try to compete and learn as much as I can and try to have an immediate impact right away. It’s just a sign of relief because I honestly strive to be the best. Tonight, I wasn’t the first defensive player selected, but I think it’s fuel to the fire and will bring out another edge to my game.”
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Bills QB Josh Allen FaceTimes Buffalo’s R1 Pick: ‘Let’s F****** Go’