Kaiir Elam Named Bills 'Breakout Candidate': Bounce-Back Season?

Entering his second season following an inconsistent rookie year, Kaiir Elam is primed for a breakout year.

While some players come into the NFL as rookies and immediately excel, more often than not there will be some growing pains. This is especially true for cornerbacks, who have arguably the hardest time transitioning from college to professional football. 

Those early struggles in mind, the Buffalo Bills knew they had to be patient with cornerback Kaiir Elam after selecting him in the first round of the 2022 draft out of Florida. 

However, he was a first-round pick for a reason and the talent is undoubtedly there for Elam. Entering his second year in Buffalo, PFF listed the Bills cornerback as the team's best most likely breakout candidate. 

"Despite being a first-round pick in 2022, Elam failed to become a starting cornerback by the start of the season and had an inconsistent rookie year," PFF writes. "However, as a former first-round pick, he should have plenty of opportunities to win that position battle."

"He also finished the season strong, flipping his 56.7 PFF grade in the regular season to 87.1 in two playoff games, a mark that would have ranked second among cornerbacks in the regular season."

Elam showed flashes at times in his rookie season, appearing in 13 games and making six starts. He finished with 41 tackles, four passes defended and a pair of interceptions. Stepping up his game in the playoffs, in Buffalo's two postseason games he recorded six tackles, two passes defended and an interception. 

The Bills already boast one of the NFL's elite defenses, a feat they look to build on this season. If Elam can take another step forward in his second season, it will go a long way towards that goal - and show Buffalo it has its next franchise cornerback. 

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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