Buffalo Bills The
Buffalo Bills selected Elam in the first round (23rd overall) of the
2022 NFL draft. In order to secure the acquisition of Elam, the Buffalo Bills orchestrated a trade, agreeing to send their first (25th overall) and fourth round (140th overall) picks in the 2022 NFL Draft to the
Baltimore Ravens in return for the 23rd overall pick. Elam marks the fourth straight defensive player the Bills have selected with a
first round pick, following
Gregory Rousseau in 2021. On May 13, 2022, the Buffalo Bills signed Elam to a four-year, $13.69 million
contract that is fully guaranteed and includes a
signing bonus of $7.13 million. He made his NFL debut in week 1 against the
Los Angeles Rams. He recorded his first professional interception off
Kenny Pickett in week 5 on October 9, 2022, in the Bills 38–3 win against the
Pittsburgh Steelers. The next week, on October 16, 2022, Elam recorded his second NFL interception off
Patrick Mahomes during the Bills 24–20 win against the
Kansas City Chiefs. He finished his rookie season with 41 total tackles, two interceptions, and four passes defensed in 13 games. On January 15, 2023, in the
Bills' playoff game against the
Dolphins in the
wild card round, Elam recorded his first career playoff interception off
Skylar Thompson in the 34–31 win. On November 2, 2023, Elam was placed on injured reserve. He was activated on December 27. On January 15, 2024, during the
Bills playoff game against the
Steelers in the
wild card round, Elam committed
pass interference on
Diontae Johnson, giving the Steelers the ball and a fresh set of downs at the Bills' 3 yard-line. 2 plays later, he recorded his second career playoff interception off
Mason Rudolph on a pass intended for Johnson in the end zone, ending the Steelers drive and preventing them from scoring their first points of the game. This interception occurred exactly one year after Elam recorded his first career playoff interception against the
Miami Dolphins. After playing sparingly during the 2024 regular season, Elam was pressed into action during the
2024 AFC Championship Game following an injury from
Christian Benford. Elam struggled to defend the Chiefs receivers both in man and zone coverage, committed multiple penalties, and was cited as one of the reasons the Bills lost the game.
Dallas Cowboys On March 12, 2025, Elam was traded to the
Dallas Cowboys alongside a 2025 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick and 2026 seventh-round pick. On May 1, the Cowboys declined the fifth-year option in Elam's contract, making him a free agent after the 2025 season. The Cowboys waived him on November 22.
Tennessee Titans On November 26, 2025, Elam signed with the
Tennessee Titans. He made four appearances for the Titans, recording one pass deflection, two fumble recoveries, and four combined tackles.
Kansas City Chiefs On April 2, 2026, Elam signed with the
Kansas City Chiefs on a one-year contract. ==NFL career statistics==