The Kansas City Chiefs made some sweeping changes to their secondary this offseason, trading away Trent McDuffie and landing Mansoor Delane in the first round of the NFL draft.
But another former first-round cornerback could find himself out of a job by the end of the summer. SI.com’s Joshua Brisco predicted the team’s 53-man roster, suggesting struggling Kaiir Elam won’t make the final cut.
Kaiir Elam Facing Tough Roster Battle
Brisco suggested that the Chiefs are set at the top of their cornerback group, with Delane starting alongside Nohl Williams. The pair predicted they would keep four more depth cornerbacks — Kader Kohou, Kristian Fulton, L’Jarius Sneed, and Jadon Canady — while cutting the other five in training camp.
“The Chiefs’ defensive backfield is one of the most interesting groups to project,” Brisco wrote. “Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams should be the clear starters on the boundary as long as Delane is cleared for contact soon. After that, all bets are off.”
The “outside looking in” group includes Elam, a former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills who has struggled to find a place in the NFL. But Brisco noted that there is still a lot of time left, and plenty of roster jostling left to happen.
“Ultimately, I think this group truly comes down to the wire,” Brisco wrote. “One of these NFL-quality depth corners will probably miss the cut in favor of the Chiefs’ preferred special teams ace; it’s just a matter of who trades places.”
Brisco added that Elam could be a candidate for the practice squad, where he would be just an injury away from being called up to the 53-man roster.
Kaiir Elam Determined to Prove Himself
Though the Bills traded up to land Elam in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, he struggled to hold onto a job from the onset. He was surpassed by fellow rookie Christian Benford, the sixth-round pick who has grown into the team’s top cornerback, and eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys after falling to the bottom of the depth chart in Buffalo.
Elam was waived by the Cowboys in November after just 10 games, finishing the season with the Tennessee Titans.
The 25-year-old admitted this offseason that he needed to show improvement.
“Just giving the best version of myself,” Elam told The Kansas City Star. “I feel like I haven’t really shown the best version of myself yet in this league. So just being the best version of myself with the opportunities that I do earn.”
Elam added that he knows he needs to be steady to make the final roster in Kansas City, saying he believes turnovers and sure tackling will get him there.
“Continue to make plays on the ball and continue to be a guy that you can trust to execute the assignment and also be physical and tackle,” Elam said. “Go balls to the wall and hustle as hard as I can. I never want to have a play on the field where I’m jogging or I’m not going full speed.”
Chiefs Predicted to Part Ways With First-Round Cornerback