Bills Central

Bills first rounder Maxwell Hairston addresses concerns about his tackling in NFL

The Buffalo Bills drafted speedster CB Maxwell Hairston in the first round of the NFL draft, a pick that came with questions about the defender's ability to stop the run.
Brian Letscher|
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Maxwell Hairston speaks in a press conference after being selected by the Buffalo Bills.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Maxwell Hairston speaks in a press conference after being selected by the Buffalo Bills. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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There is no question that the brand new cornerback for the Buffalo Bills can run fast.

The question is can Round 1 draft pick Maxwell Hairston tackle and hold up physically in the Bills' zone defense. Hairston, an immediately magnetic addition to the Bills locker room, seems to think so.

Hairston was selected Thursday out of Kentucky with the 30th pick in the NFL draft and brings with him the fastest 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine — 4.28 seconds. He also ran that time at 5'11" and183 pounds — a weight that had many concerned about his durability in a zone defense that asks their corners to play physical. NFL Media's Chad Reuter went so far as to write that Hairston was a "massive liability in run support".

RELATED: Buffalo Bills' first-round pick Maxwell Hairston missing a key component

Maxwell Hairston, Matthew Golden
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden (2) stiff arms Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Maxwell Hairston (1) | Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hairston himself, with a fire and spirit that is already being embraced by the Bills Mafia, doesn't appear concerned at all, responding to reporters post-draft that he's aleady gotten his weight up to 192 pounds and will be ready to play.

"There's always something I can improve. [Tackling] is something that -- going to the NFL -- I'm gonna still keep that dawg in me. I want to tackle, I want to get my nose dirty. I'm gonna make it happen. I'm about 192 [pounds] right now, and, honestly, that's just extra armor...I can still bust a 4.28 right now."

Bills' general manager Brandon Beane echoed Hairston's comments, expressing he felt they got a player for the perfect value that fit a need.

Hairston's love of football and his excitement about playing for the Bills is evident. He's an elite cover corner who's an average tackler but with a true desire to improve. Buffalo will get him the weight room, coach him up, and don't be at all surprised if Hairston's belief becomes reality.

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Brian Letscher
BRIAN LETSCHER

A Michigan native, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in another century, where he earned a degree in economics and a Rose Bowl Championship ring while playing football for the Wolverines under Head Coach Gary Moeller. Brian went on to coach Division 1A football for several years before becoming a full-time writer and actor while maintaining an unhealthy interest in sports. He is currently developing a scripted television series, THOSE WHO STAY, based on a series of historical fiction articles he wrote about Bo Schembechler's Michigan football program as they struggle to unite and win the championship - which requires beating #1 Ohio State - during the tumultuous civil rights and anti-war movements of 1969.

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