Brandon Beane’s worst-ever draft pick.
Kaiir Elam was released by the Cowboys in a surprise move on Saturday afternoon, ending the Buffalo Bills’ former first-round pick’s run in Dallas after he was traded by the Bills this offseason.
The Bills dealt the 2022 No. 23 overall pick, along with a 2025 sixth-round pick, to the Cowboys on March 12 in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round and 2026 seventh-round selection, which concluded Elam’s three-year run in Buffalo.
RELATED: Bills finally trade first-round draft bust for modest return
Oct 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kaiir Elam (20) tackles Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (22) during the first quarter of the game at AT&T Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Drafted out of the University of Florida, Elam appeared in 29 regular-season games for the Bills, earning 12 starts. During his time in Buffalo, he totaled four interceptions and 10 passes defensed (including playoffs).
In less than one season in Dallas, Elam appeared in 10 games, starting seven of them, totaling just one pass defensed while allowing 24 receptions for 314 yards and three touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. Before being released, opposing passers had recorded a passer rating of 112.6 when targeting Elam in coverage.
The Bills spent a fourth-round pick to move up two spots and select Elam three seasons ago with hopes that he would pair well with Tre’Davious White in the Buffalo secondary before White’s first of two significant season-ending injuries. But shortly after being selected, Elam was surpassed by 2022 sixth-round pick Christian Benford in the cornerback pecking order. Benford signed a four-year $76 million contract extension with the Bills 17 days after Elam was traded.
MORE: Bills castoff proving to be a bust for Cowboys through two weeks
Apr 28, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Florida defensive back Kaiir Elam is announced as the twenty-third overall pick to the Buffalo Bills during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft at the NFL Draft Theater. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Beane’s success rate in the first round has been spotty since he took over as Bills’ general manager following the 2017 draft. Of his seven top-round selections, quarterback Josh Allen is the only surefire star. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver, edge rusher Greg Rousseau, Elam and tight end Dalton Kincaid all have yet to prove themselves as NFL stars, while it’s too early to tell on cornerback Maxwell Hairston. Allen’s fellow 2018 first-round selection, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is no longer with the team.
With all that said, above the rest, Elam sticks out as the worst of them all. Trading up for a player, who the team jettisoned after just three seasons and was subsequently released by his new team before his first season in Dallas was through. Simply bad all the way around.
—Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter—