Bills Urged to Trade Former First-Round CB After Falling Down Depth Chart

The Buffalo Bills made a big investment in the secondary when they drafted cornerback Kaiir Elam in the first round in 2022, but one insider suggests the team may be ready to move on.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox identified Elam as one of the most likely trade candidates early in this NFL season, noting that he has fallen out of the team’s defensive depth chart.

“The Buffalo Bills might want to move off of cornerback and 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam while he still has some trade value,” Knox wrote, adding that Elam started 13 games his rookie season but appeared in just three last year.

“It doesn’t appear as if he’s headed toward an expanded role in 2024. The Florida product was a non-factor in Buffalo’s opener, even though the defense struggled against the Arizona Cardinals,” Knox added, writing that Elam played on special teams but no snaps on defense in the season opener.

Kaiir Elam Could Generate Interest

Knox wrote that Elam has not put together an extensive resume in the NFL, but could still hold value to a team that sees upside in the former first-round pick. The Bleacher Report writer noted that Elam ranked as the outlet’s No. 14 prospect heading into the 2022 NFL Draft.

There could be a few teams interested, including the Washington Commanders, Knox wrote.

“The Los Angeles Rams might consider taking a flier on Elam,” Knox wrote. “While the Rams only surrendered 200 passing yards to the Detroit Lions in Week 1, they have already lost cornerback Derion Kendrick for the season to a torn ACL.”

Elam has seen another cornerback from his draft class take on a big role with the Bills. Christian Benford, a sixth-round pick in 2022, has moved into a starting role and made an interception in Thursday’s 31-10 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Bills May Need Depth in the Secondary

Elam could still hold value with the Bills after the team suffered some injuries to the secondary. Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson went down in the season opener and was ruled out for the win over the Dolphins on September 12.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott hinted that Johnson could miss more time, but not enough to be placed on injured reserve.

“We’re hoping it’s a good thing, that we deemed it not necessary to put him on IR,” McDermott said, via SI.com. “It is important though to continue to take it one day and one week at a time just because the injury is still new, but our hope is it’s actually, it’ll be prior to that four weeks that would normally garner the IR designation there. We’ll just take it one day at a time.”

Elam crawled back into the depth chart on defense on Thursday, playing in six snaps against the Dolphins. But with Johnson out the team handed a bigger role to Ja’Marcus Ingram, who had spent most of last season on the practice squad. He recorded two interceptions in the team’s 31-10 win over the Dolphins, including one returned for a touchdown as the only score in the second half.