4 Buffalo Bills players who should see an expanded role in 2023

Kaiir Elam

The Buffalo Bills drafted a cornerback in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft for the first time since selecting Tre’Davious White in the 2017 NFL Draft. White’s rookie season he stepped in almost immediately and was a full-time starter for this defense.

That wasn’t the case for Kaiir Elam who was regularly splitting snaps with other cornerbacks like Dane Jackson or Christian Benford in a rotation. He finished the year playing 50% or more defensive snaps in only six games (all occurring from Week 2 to Week 8) and even was a healthy scratch in the second half of the year.

Elam was a bigger part of the defense in the playoffs and even made an impressive interception in the AFC Wild Card Game against the Miami Dolphins. Those are the type of plays that Elam should be able to make consistently if he is given the chance to remain on the field.

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the Buffalo Bills need to commit to Kaiir Elam as the starting cornerback opposite Tre’Davious White and let him grow in the role by playing and not worrying about coming off the field.