The Dallas Cowboys entered the offseason with a big need for help at cornerback. Other than DaRon Bland, they had no guarantees in that unit, as Trevon Diggs had struggled with multiple injuries since his breakout season.
That's why giving up on some late-round draft picks to get former first-rounder Kaiir Elam from the Buffalo Bills made so much sense at the time. But four weeks into this experiment, this trade is starting to look like an absolute disaster.
Cowboys CB Kaiir Elam Is a Bust After 4 Games
Elam played 71% of the team's defensive snaps in the tie to the Green Bay Packers, the most among all cornerbacks. However, he only managed to record three tackles (two solo) while allowing a trio of catches on as many targets before finishing with an abysmal 58.8 Pro Football Focus coverage grade.
According to PFF, Elam has also already given up the most yards in coverage (244) since he gave up 353 as a rookie. That's even more yards than he gave up in 13 games
(4 starts) with the Bills last season.
Elam is giving up 11.6 yards per target, and while he's allowing "just" 66.7 of the targets to be completed (a career best), he's giving up a 121.4 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks, the worst in his career. Opposing teams average 17.4 yards per completion against him, and he's given up a total of 184 air yards and 60 yards after contact.
The Cowboys gave up a 2025 fifth-round pick (170th overall) and a 2026 seventh-round pick for Elam and a 2025 sixth-round selection, which seemed like a fair return for the 24-year-old defensive back at the time, but there's no reason he should be playing this much now that head coach Brian Schottenheimer's staff has a bigger sample size.
Diggs has also struggled mightily, and chances are this will be his last year with the team. That puts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus in a tough spot, as he might be forced to move Bland from his preferred nickel spot and play him on the outside, with Reddy Steward stepping up at nickel.
Rookie Shavon Revel Jr. is eligible to return to practice next week, but he might still be a ways away from being back to full strength after suffering a setback in his knee injury. He'd also be a viable Elam replacement if he can play up to his potential.
In the meantime, the Cowboys will likely have to get by with Elam and Diggs as their top outside options, leaving time to tell if any other possibilities emerge, either through free agency or the trade market.