As a former first-round pick that his team traded up for, Buffalo Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam hasn’t had the ideal start to his NFL career.
The No. 23 overall selection at the 2022 NFL draft, Elam has been in and out of the lineup for most of his career. He’s made plays, but sat behind others on the depth chart too.
As training camp unfolds in 2024, Elam is hoping that improved health and confidence will help him secure more playing time. Elam had a strong showing during the seventh camp practice on Thursday for the Bills as he battles Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford for starting spots at outside cornerback next season.
“I’m healthy, man. I’m flying around,” Elam said. “I’m playing free.”
“My confidence is through the roof,” he added.
The injury Elam dealt with on and off last year was a foot issue.
Elam’s play, now at a healthier level, has caught the attention of teammates as well. Safety Taylor Rapp said he sees “growth” in Elam this summer.
“Seeing, especially from the maturity standpoint, he’s obviously a young guy, drafted in the first round. I wasn’t here when in his rookie year, but even throughout all the adversity that he’s dealt with through his whole career, going from his rookie year to last year, he kind of dealt with an injury last year. Just seeing him step up at a maturity standpoint is the biggest growth, the biggest point where I’m most proud of him. Really excited to see how he continues to grow, he’s doing a tremendous job,” Rapp said via video conference.
For more from Elam, see the attached Batavia Daily clip below:
Kaiir Elam fielding questions from HOFer @MikeCatalana. Says he is embracing the competition at cornerback. About his playmaking ability, says his confidence in himself and his technique has allowed him to get hands on footballs throughout the offseason and preseason #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/9zwIMetUrM
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) July 29, 2024
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