Kaiir Elam facts for kids
| No. 20 – Dallas Cowboys | |||||||||
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | May 5, 2001 Riviera Beach, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 191 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: |
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| College: | Florida (2019–2021) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2022 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Kaiir Elam was born on May 5, 2001. He is an American professional football player. He plays as a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the Cowboys, he played college football for the Florida Gators. The Buffalo Bills chose him in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
Kaiir Elam grew up in Riviera Beach, Florida. He went to The Benjamin School. There, he was a talented athlete, playing basketball, football, and running track.
High School Achievements
In his final year of high school, Kaiir was amazing at football. He made 71 tackles and had nine interceptions. He was named the best defensive player in his area. ESPN rated him as one of the top high school football players. He decided to play college football at the University of Florida.
College Football Career
Kaiir Elam started playing for the Florida Gators in 2019. Even as a freshman, he played in all 13 games. He started five of those games.
Freshman and Sophomore Success
During his freshman year, he had 11 tackles and three interceptions. He was recognized as one of the best freshmen in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In his second year, he was considered one of the top players in the SEC before the season even began. Kaiir decided to enter the 2022 NFL draft on January 10, 2022.
Professional NFL Career
Kaiir Elam was a highly anticipated player in the 2022 NFL draft. He showed great speed and athletic ability during pre-draft tests.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) |
191 lb (87 kg) |
30+7⁄8 in (0.78 m) |
8+7⁄8 in (0.23 m) |
4.39 s | 1.55 s | 2.57 s | 4.21 s | 6.98 s | 37.5 in (0.95 m) |
10 reps | ||
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Time with the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills picked Kaiir Elam in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. He was the 23rd player chosen overall. The Bills made a trade to get this pick. On May 13, 2022, he signed a four-year contract with the Bills.
Rookie Season Highlights
Kaiir made his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 2022 season. He got his first professional interception on October 9, 2022. This happened in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The very next week, he had another interception against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished his first season with 41 tackles and two interceptions.
Playoff Performances
In the 2022-23 playoffs, Kaiir had his first career playoff interception. This was against the Dolphins on January 15, 2023. He also had another playoff interception exactly one year later, on January 15, 2024. This second one was against the Steelers.
Kaiir faced some challenges during the 2024 season. He was called into action during the 2024 AFC Championship Game. He struggled in that game, and the Bills lost.
Joining the Dallas Cowboys
On March 12, 2025, Kaiir Elam was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys also received a 2025 sixth-round draft pick. In return, the Bills received a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
NFL Career Statistics
Kaiir Elam has played in both regular season and playoff games. Here are some of his career stats.
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sck | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2022 | BUF | 13 | 6 | 41 | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 2023 | BUF | 3 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| Career | 16 | 8 | 55 | 39 | 16 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | |
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sck | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2022 | BUF | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 2023 | BUF | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| Career | 4 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Personal Life and Family
Kaiir Elam comes from a family of football players. His father, Abram Elam, played college football and spent seven seasons in the NFL. His uncle, Matt Elam, also played football at Florida. Matt was a first-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft. He currently plays for the Massachusetts Pirates.
