The Dallas Cowboys have a cornerback dilemma. While Shavon Revel Jr. eyes a mid-training camp return from his ACL tear, the team hopes Trevon Diggs will be ready for Week 1 as he recovers from chondral tissue graft surgery, though his status is uncertain. Finally, DaRon Bland has taken reps in the slot amid all the injuries, but a position change has not been determined at this point.
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Because of this, the Cowboys must count on a former AFC East first-round pick.
Dallas Cowboys acquired former Buffalo Bills CB
Kaiir Elam had a rough start to his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills. He lost the starting cornerback job to Christian Benford during training camp in his rookie season but alternated due to injuries in 2022, was a healthy scratch to start his second season, and missed the final ten regular-season games with a torn deltoid ligament in his ankle in 2023, and saw extra playing time in his third season due to injuries but also missed time with a shoulder injury and healthy scratch in 2024. The Dallas Cowboys acquired Elam and a 2025 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
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Dallas Cowboys’ newcomer poised for major role in fresh start
So far, Kaiir Elam has taken first-team reps with the starting defense on the outside throughout spring practices while Trevon Diggs and Shavon Revel Jr. recover from their respective injuries, and DaRon Bland is taking reps in the slot. According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, the former first-round pick is poised for a significant role and could start in 2025. Machota points to the health of Diggs and Revel as the biggest question mark regarding the structure of the cornerback position.
“He worked with the starters throughout organized team activities and minicamp. He’s expected to have a significant role. DaRon Bland is one starter, Elam is another. The third player is still to be determined. That could be free-agent Stephon Gilmore or rookie Shavon Revel Jr. If the third-round pick wasn’t coming off a significant knee injury, he would likely be a Day 1 starter,” Machota said.
“What he’s able to do during training camp and the preseason will go a long way in determining if he’s ready for that Week 1 role. And then there’s Trevon Diggs, who is also working his way back from a knee injury. When will he be able to return? If he were completely healthy, there would be a lot less concern about the position. But with Diggs’ return date unclear, corner is Dallas’ biggest question mark.”
Kaiir Elam is excited about his fresh start
“I feel like the energy here is something I’ve never been a part of,” Elam said, via the team’s website. “I love the enthusiasm, and also I would just say the energy from the coaching staff, they actually make you feel like they care, and that’s something that’s very exciting.
“I was just blessed to come here, I don’t really have too many huge expectations that I shout out loud. I just try to be a consistent day every day. When my teammates and my coaching staff see the film, I want them to see a consistent dog every day.”
