Bills draft CB Kaiir Elam 23rd overall

With many of us unsure of what Brandon Beane and the Bills were going to do during the first round of the NFL draft, they ended up filling a spot where they needed it most. The Bills traded up from the 25th overall pick to the 23rd overall pick – giving up only a 4th rounder to move up the 2 spots- and selected a cornerback that Beane presumably had a first-round grade on: Kaiir Elam out of Florida.

As you can see, Elam was pretty excited to become the newest Buffalo Bill:

Elam, who doesn’t turn 21 until next week, had a phenomenal 2020 campaign which put him into elite status – being labeled as one of the best CB’s in the country. In 2021, he was injured for the majority of the year but still battled and played through the injury – the exact kind of toughness that Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott want on their roster.

Many general managers, including Beane himself, stated that they wouldn’t be surprised if he went in the top 15 because of his physical talent, and when Elam landed within striking distance, Beane knew he had to make his move by trading up a couple spots.

“He does not lack in confidence,” Mel Kiper said about him after recapping Buffalo’s pick.

All the analysts on the panel had lots of high praise for Elam and believe that with Tre’Davious White’s leadership and Leslie Frazier and McDermott’s coaching, Elam will surely be a very successful player in Buffalo’s defense.

After Buffalo selected him, Elam told Beane that he wants the playbook available to him for when he’s on his flight to Buffalo. I mean, come on?! How can you not love this kid already? With that kind of attitude and work ethic, combined with his physical gifts, he has all the making to be a stud in the NFL. White was also a late first-round pick by Buffalo (No. 27 overall) with raw physical tools and look how he panned out.

The Bills’ biggest need coming into this draft was undoubtedly a No. 2 cornerback after the departure of Levi Wallace in free agency. Beane traded up and grabbed their guy in Kaiir Elam, who has plenty of experience covering the SEC’s best WR talent. The Mafia’s faith is in Big Baller Beane and the coaching staff, and for good reason.

We know Elam has the physical traits and the blazing speed (6’2″, 196 lbs and ran a 4.39 40-yard dash) to cover deep downfield, but he also shows flashes of tremendous technique and press coverage, as you see here working against what some believed was the draft’s top WR in Alabama’s Jameson Williams: