First-round draft choiceFinancial circumstance per Spotrac): Elam gets in the second year of his four-year rookie agreement. The deal is worth $13,690,809 overall. For the 2023 season, Elam brings a cap hit of $3,111,548. Buffalo is on the hook for a dead-cap total of $11,201,572 if he's launched or traded, as first-round contracts are totally ensured. The group does not have to make a choice on the fifth-year choice constructed into contracts for first-round choices until 2026. 2022 Recap: After Buffalo drafted Elam in the preliminary, the majority of us thought that he would stroll right into the starting job throughout from Dane Jackson while Tre'Davious White recuperated from ACL surgical treatment. That's not what took place, as the Costs chose rather to start fellow rookie Christian Benford, the sixth-round choose of Villanova. Benford and Jackson began Buffalo's very first 2 games, but Elam entered the starting schedule instead of Jackson for Buffalo's Week 3 contest. He remained in the beginning schedule consistently, making the next six starts for the group Jets Store. Those were his only six regular-season begins, nonetheless, as his snap matter started to decrease in his final couple of beginnings before an ankle injury suffered against the New York Jets in Week 9 triggered him to miss the next two games. He was energetic versus the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, however he really did not begin, and then he was non-active the following week versus the New England Patriots. Head train Sean McDermott explained it by claiming he intended to see what the team had with veteran corner Xavier Rhodes. After that odd little interlude, Elam played in every ready the rest of the period, starting just one more contest: Buffalo's 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs. Elam completed his newbie year with 41 takes on, four pass breaks up, and two interceptions, adding six takes on, two pass breaks up, and an interception in the playoffs. Positional overview: Elam is secured in a three-way fight with Jackson and Benford for the right to start across from White this season. In Buffalo's preseason opener, it was Jackson that attracted the begin, however Elam that played more breaks 40) than anyone else on protection for the Expenses.