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CBS Sports made the case that Kaiir Elam could be the next player to reach “star status” on the Buffalo Bills.
The outlet named one player that is currently considered “under-the-radar” who could end up turning into a contributor next season. Elam is the pick.
Here’s how CBS Sports explained the Elam selection:
The Bills have Super Bowl aspirations this season, but they’ll need strong play by their defense to get over the hump. The AFC is littered with top-tier quarterbacks, so seeing a player like 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam ascend in Year 2 would be a welcome sight. The Florida cornerback had an up-and-down rookie year that saw him play just 13 games during the regular season due to injury. However, Elam ended his rookie season on a positive note in the postseason. He had a couple of notable plays in Buffalo’s win over the Dolphins during Super Wild Card Weekend and then got the start in the divisional round against Cincinnati. Head coach Sean McDermott, who’ll be calling defensive plays for the team this season, called that Miami game a “launching point” for Elam. If he can carry that over into 2023 and be a consistent presence opposite of Tre’Davious White, the Bills will be well-positioned for a Lombardi Trophy.
While Elam did deal with injury as a rookie, he also lost out on some playing time to Dane Jackson. The Bills like Jackson and aren’t going to just hand Elam a starting job, even if he was a first-round pick. Jackson was a seventh rounder.
Still, that draft status does make a difference and would give Elam an edge in a neck-and-neck race.
As of now through minicamp, the No. 2 cornerback role is still up for grabs ahead of next season between Elam and Jackson. Both reportedly took snaps during team drills with the top defensive unit. This will be a training camp battle to watch throughout the summer.
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