Bills Central

Bills 'ball-hawking' first-round pick projects to start at cornerback

Buffalo drafted Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston with the No. 30 pick and he is expected to compete for the starting CB role

Khari Demos

Kentucky Wildcats cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
Kentucky Wildcats cornerback Maxwell Hairston. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
In this story:

Defensive help, especially at cornerback, has been the consensus NFL Draft focus for the Buffalo Bills for months.

It took all the way toward the end of round 1 to find out the result, but the Buffalo Bills look to have their cornerback of the future.

Thursday's first round of the NFL Draft saw the Bills select Maxwell Hairston out of Kentucky. The 5-foot-11, 183-pound CB may be diminutive, but his speed and production make him the favorite to step into the number two cornerback role.

Maxwell Hairston
Sep 23, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Maxwell Hairston (31) celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Hairston projects to start opposite Christian Benford, who was awarded this offseason with a significant contract extension as one of the best players at his position. Taron Johnson is still in the defensive back room too, and Tre'Davious White and Dane Jackson have even decided to come home to Buffalo.

And while there is additional depth with defensive backs Ja'Marcus Ingram and Brandon Codrington on the roster — the Bills round one investment in Hairston likely means the CB2 role is his job to lose heading into the 2025 season.

While Hairston's 2023 season was more productive than his 2024 season, the former Wildcat still garnered back-to-back second-team All-SEC selections. Across 20 games over the last two seasons, Hairston tallied 87 tackles, six interceptions, three pick-sixes, 10 passes defended, and three forced fumbles.

Hairston owns the University of Kentucky school record for most career interceptions returned for touchdowns with three.

  • 2024: Missed 5 games with a shoulder injury. Started 7 games (19 tackles, sack, INT returned for TD, 4 PBUs, 2 FFs). Second Team All-SEC.
  • 2023: Tied for sixth in the FBS with 5 INTs (led SEC), tied for second in the FBS with 2 INTs returned for TDs. Led team with 6 PBUs. Started all 13 games (68 tackles, 1.5 TFLs).

    • Second-team All-SEC.

NFL.com analyst Lance Zerlein described Hairston as a "Slender outside cornerback with long arms and impressive ball production. Hairston is capable of playing all forms of zone and man coverage. He anticipates well with his eyes forward and has the burst to take the ball away, posting six interceptions (three returned for TDs) over his last 20 games. He stays connected in man coverage with good agility and fluidity but needs to do a better job of locating the football downfield. He will struggle to contest big wideouts and his run support will turn off some teams. Hairston has the athleticism and on-ball talent to become a starter, but he needs to prove he can hold up to the rigors and physicality of the NFL game."

His versatile skill set should help him generate production at the NFL level too. And one thing for sure is he will be one of the best athletes in the CB room, as his raw athletic score shows beyond his impressive 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash.

Hairston seems like a high-character player Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane have enlisted in the past.

Maxwell Hairston
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Kentucky Wildcats cornerback Maxwell Hairston with his parents Robin Hairston and Marvin Hairston on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Buffalo still has nine picks over the final two days of the draft. Not having to move up to add a potential long-term starter at CB could be one of Beane's best swings of draft weekend.

Maxwell Hairston
Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Maxwell Hairston (31) intercepts a pass intended for Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III at Kroger Field Saturday. / Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

More Buffalo Bills News:

Published
Khari Demos
KHARI DEMOS

Khari Demos is an award-winning sports media creator and is a contributor for Bills On SI. He has written sports betting article covering the NFL for The Athletic and has written pieces about the NBA, MLB, college football and basketball, and more, throughout his career.

Home/Bills Draft Updates