ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Kaiir Elam's first day on the field as a Buffalo Bill is in the books.

"It was awesome," Elam said. "First step of becoming a pro."

Elam taking part in rookie minicamp, which runs through the weekend.

"I felt like a freshman out there," Elam said. "New environment, but at the end of the day football is football. Still got to continue to get better. Still got to grind. Still have to earn everything. It kind of felt the same, honestly, just I'm a pro now."

One think Elam doesn't feel are the weight of expectations that come with being selected 23rd overall.

"No, there's no pressure," Elam said. "No pressure. Like I said, football is football. I go out there, listen to my coaches, make plays, and have fun. At the end of the day, help this team win. That's the most important. Help this team win and stay available."

Elam's been learning since he stepped into the building, noting that the hashes on the field are different in the NFL than college as the numbers are tighter. Then there's the different terminology used and grasping a new playbook.

The rookie's been a sponge mostly around defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and defensive backs coach John Butler.

"I learned so much my first day, not even on the team, with them," Elam said. "I'm still trying to continue to learn. And they're awesome people. They're the same people off the field as one the field. Coach me the same. Talk to me the same. That's something I appreciate because a lot of people change on and off the field. They're just consistently the same people and I appreciate that."

Elam also appreciated a moment he wasn't expecting a few weeks ago, when he was shown on the video scoreboard at a Sabres game along with Josh Allen and other new Bills teammates. The crowd inside KeyBank Center went nuts, giving Elam a rousing standing ovation 24 hours after being drafted.

"That was awesome, man," Elam said with a smile. "That was something I never dreamed of before. Honestly, it just made me a little bit more hungrier. Just to see how much they accepted me and I just want to go out there and not only prove it to them, but prove it to myself that I can help this team win and execute. I think that just made me a lot more hungry and I appreciate that from them."

And it's only the beginning for Kaiir Elam.