The Dallas Cowboys have long been a haven for former first round picks or disgruntled stars to attempt to revive their careers. If there’s a team leading the league in “Taking One Last Chance” on various dudes throughout the years, it’s probably the Cowboys.
The latest guy with a chance to turn things around in Dallas is cornerback Kaiir Elam, a former first round pick obtained via a trade with the Buffalo Bills on March 12.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine thinks a vacuum at cornerback due to injuries could clear a path for Elam to become a “Breakout Candidate” for the Cowboys this summer.
For Elam, it boil down to essentially being on a 1-year, $2.5 million “prove it” contract in 2025 after the Cowboys declined his $12.6 million fifth year option following the trade.
Elam was the No. 23 overall pick by the Bills in the 2022 NFL draft.
“Kaiir Elam’s time in Buffalo was disappointing,” Ballentine wrote on June 2. “The 2022 first-round pick had opportunities to emerge with the Bills and wasn’t able to take advantage of those opportunities. But sometimes a change of scenery can spark a career revival. Elam is going to have the opportunity to prove himself over the summer. Both Trevon Diggs and third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr. are working their way back from ACL injuries and Elam is already making plays in OTAs.”
While Elam has struggled during the regular season, he’s seemed like an elite player in the in the postseason through his first 3 seasons. He has 2 interceptions in 5 career playoff games, including the game-winning pick against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Round following the 2023 season.
Elam Second-Generation NFL Player
Elam was an All-SEC pick at Florida and ran a blazing, 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine before the Bill selected him No. 23 overall in 2022 and signed him to a 4-year, $13.69 million contract.
“(Elam) is patient and strong to mirror and impede releases but inconsistent staying connected to the early stages of the route,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in 2022. ” … He plays big at the catch point but smaller in run support. Elam has early CB3 and eventual CB2 value as a press and zone corner.”
Elam’s father, Abram, played 7 seasons as an NFL safety and his uncle, Matt Elam, was an All-American safety at Florida and a first-round pick (No. 32 overall) by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 NFL draft.
Injury Issues Have Dogged Elam Throughout Career
Despite only playing in 13 games and making 6 starts as a rookie in 2022, Elam still had 41 tackles, 4 pass deflections and 2 interceptions. He also had an interception against the Miami Dolphins in an AFC Wild Card win.
In 2023, Elam only played in 3 games because of injury issues — meaning he’s missed 17 regular-season games over his first 2 seasons. Still, he returned for the playoffs and had the clutch interception against the Steelers.
Elam missed 4 games in 2024 but only made 3 starts in the 13 games he played in.
“Depending on the health of the corners, Elam could see starting reps on the outside as early as Week 1,” Cowboys reporter Brandon Loree wrote on his official X account on May 15. “They’ll need the former first-round pick in a big way.”
