Watch: Former Gators CB Kaiir Elam Posts First NFL Playoffs Interception
What could prove to be Buffalo's most vital play of the 2022-23 Wild Card round, Bills cornerback and three-year former Florida Gators defensive back Kaiir Elam was on the receiving end of a second-half interception on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
The pick set Buffalo, down 24-20 with 7:29 left in the third quarter at the time, up at Miami's 33-yard line. Five snaps later, the Bills retook the lead, 27-24, as a result of quarterback Josh Allen's six-yard completion to receiver Cole Beasley in the end zone.
You can watch Elam's interception, the first postseason pick of his NFL career, below.
At the time this story was published, the Bills had re-established a two-possession lead — 34-24 at the beginning of the fourth quarter — after blowing a 14-point margin over the Dolphins near the end of the first half. Miami took brief control of the game at the beginning of the third quarter following a strip-sack on Allen that turned into a Dolphins touchdown.
Elam was Buffalo's first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, picked at No. 23 overall following three successful seasons at Florida.
A product of North Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School, Elam cracked the Gators' starting secondary as a true freshman due to injuries above him on the depth chart and never looked back, holding onto the role until he opted to enter the draft following his junior season.
He posted 79 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, 26 defended passes and a forced fumble in 35 games with the Gators, earning First-Team All-SEC honors in 2020 and All-SEC Freshman Team honors in 2019.
During his first regular season in the pros, Elam produced 41 tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups in 13 games, starting six of them.
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