The Dallas Cowboys are looking to have a better season in 2025 and a big part of it will come down to their secondary. One year after ranking fourth with a 14.6% turnover percentage and ranking eighth with 17 interceptions, the Cowboys couldn’t find the same magic ranking 14th in turnover percentage (11%) and in interceptions (13).
The failures in the secondary resulted in the departure of Jourdan Lewis and there are significant questions as Trevon Diggs returns from his second knee surgery over the past two seasons. But there’s one new addition that performed well during camp but will have to keep it up if he wants to earn a starting role next season.
New Cowboys CB Kaiir Elam is on Thin Ice Ahead of Training Camp
The Cowboys took a gamble to fix their secondary this offseason when they acquired Kaiir Elam in a trade with the Buffalo Bills. Elam was a first-round pick by Buffalo in the 2022 draft but never emerged as a shutdown corner, posing a Pro Football Focus grade in the mid-60s in all three seasons as a starter. The 24-year-old also played with a torn foot ligament during the 2023 season and a shoulder injury in the second half of last season, but he wore out his welcome after allowing a 120.1 passer rating in coverage.
Elam believes that heading to Dallas is a fresh start and made headlines when he compared the energy of the Cowboys’ staff to his time in Buffalo. He also took advantage of Diggs’ being on the sidelines during OTAs, stepping up and becoming a front runner for a starting job on the outside.
“I just want to be a consistent dog every day,” Elam told DLLS’s Joseph Hoyt. My coaches, when they talk about me and about my performance on the field, or my performance in the weight room, or my performance in my ability to catch onto the plays fast, I just want them to say Kaiir is super consistent and he gave all he could every single time and I’ll be happy with that.”
Those comments wouldn’t seem to come from a player on thin ice. But the depth chart shows that there’s plenty of competition behind Elam for a starting job.
Diggs is expected to return to the Cowboys at some point before the start of next season. The Cowboys also took East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel in the third round of April’s draft and Israel Mukuamu has also been making his case for a starting spot at cornerback after moving over from the strong safety position.
This doesn’t include threats that are currently not in the building. Jaire Alexander became a hot commodity after his release from the Green Bay Packers. Stephon Gilmore and Rasul Douglas are also on the free agent market, and there’s an outside chance the Cowboys could swing a trade for Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey if they want to make a splash before the beginning of next year.
It means Elam is safe for now and should be considered a favorite to make the roster. But entering a contract year, he’ll have to perform well in camp and beyond to make sure his stay in Dallas isn’t a one-year tour.