2022 NFL Draft: Contract details released for Kaiir Elam, Buffalo Bills

Former Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam became the 23rd overall pick in first round of the 2022 NFL Draft when the Buffalo Bills selected him with their first pick of the night. A lifelong dream now turns into generational wealth as Spotrac revealed the details of his rookie deal with the team.

According to Spotrac, Kaiir Elam should sign a four-year with the Buffalo Bills worth $13.7 million after his selection. The deal would also include an $7.1 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option, as all first-round picks do.

The deal is also fully guaranteed and includes a 2022 cap hit of just $2.4 million.

Kaiir Elam impressed early for the Gators with three interceptions as a true freshman. Elam then started all 12 games in 2020 and posted a team-high 11 pass breakups, along with 39 tackles and two interceptions. His 2020 season earned him first-team All-SEC honors from the SEC coaches. In 2021, Elam missed three games with a knee injury, but recorded 29 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups in the ten games he was able to start.

Elam was a former four-star recruit according to the On3 Consensus rankings, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He played high school football at The Benjamin School in Florida, where he transformed himself as a player.

More about Kaiir Elam

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down what Kaiir Elam can bring to the NFL in his recent scout of the cornerback’s draft profile.

Zierlein highlighted the promise that Elam offers to a team that selects him this year, but noted that his 2021 season lacked the impact it could have had on his draft potential.

“Elam is the next up in a long line of talented Florida cornerbacks, but he failed to play his best football in his final collegiate season,” said Zierlein. “He is patient and strong to mirror and impede releases but inconsistent staying connected to the early stages of the route. He plays with good awareness in zone and has the twitch and length to make plays on the throw when squatting in space. He was beat on deep patterns against Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia, which might have led to excessive grabbing and an overall lack of trust in his technique on the 2021 tape.”