Expectations for CB Kaiir Elam’s rookie year

What will Bills fans see from Elam in 2022?

The Buffalo Bills drafted Kaiir Elam with the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Elam was a standout corner at the University of Florida and chose to declare for the NFL Draft instead of returning for his senior season in Gainesville. The Bills were more than happy that he chose to leave school for the NFL, as they even moved up two spots to select him in the first round. It’s clear that GM Brandon Beane and HC Sean McDermott have big plans for Elam.

Gator fans knew Elam would be a special player early on, as he played in all 13 games in his freshman season. He had 11 tackles and three interceptions that season and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Elam continued to excel in Gainesville as he entered his sophomore season on the Jim Thorpe Award watchlist. Elam remained a big factor on the outside despite the Gators having one of the worst defenses in the SEC in 2020 and 2021.

Now that Elam is in Buffalo, I expect him to play for a starting position. He now has great players in the Bills secondary to mentor him, such as Tre’Davious White, who also played in the SEC at LSU and was a late first round pick by Buffalo (No. 27 in 2017). Right now, Dane Jackson is ahead of Elam on the depth chart at the other cornerback position opposite of White. But given that White will miss at least the first four weeks due to being placed on the Reserve/PUP list, Elam should play as much as Jackson and he’ll be thrown into NFL regular season action from the get-go.

Elam did get off to a good start in his preseason debut against the Colts as he earned his first pass breakup as an NFL cornerback. And, he made another excellent pass breakup in the final preseason game against Carolina. It’s obvious that he has the physical tools to be a consummate pro:

I watched Elam for three years while he was in Gainesville, and I know that he plays with a physical and aggressive style, especially under pressure. At the beginning of training camp, he was using his hands too much, and even holding wide receivers down field. Playing with his feet instead of his hands is something that he’s already improved on since then, but it will be something to watch for in the regular season, especially since the NFL has announced there will be an emphasis on illegal contact penalties in 2022.

Given Elam’s coachability and dedication to his craft, he should be just fine in the long term. You should expect him to start a healthy amount of games for the Bills this year. He’ll most likely show some flashes of greatness, and also be reminded he’s a rookie at times. His strong suit is playing zone and press coverage, but he can also play adequate man coverage and is dangerous when he has a mismatch.

I will admit that I am a Florida Gators fan, which explains my ties to Elam. Before the Bills selected him, I expected him to go to the Ravens, but Brandon Beane made the right decision to trade up and get their guy. Elam will make a great asset to the Bills pass defense, and I don’t expect anything less from what I saw from him when he was a Gator. The Bills should be very excited about Elam, not just because he is a talented player, but also because he is a great teammate and very coachable.