Bills have 'potential disappointment' competing for starting CB job

Will Buffalo's top draft pick have a successful first season in the NFL?

Buffalo Bills Maxwell Hairston jogs to another area of the field during voluntary workout at their practice facility on May 27, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills' first-round draft pick Maxwell Hairston was named by Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski as a 2025 first-rounder with "potential to disappoint" as a rookie cornerback.

Sobleski prefaced his list by explaining, "By identifying potential disappointments this early in the process, it's not meant to serve as an indictment of what they can eventually become," pointing to Sam Darnold's career-altering season with the Minnesota Vikings as the latest example of former first round picks finding success later in their careers.

He continues, "It's simply a look at who may not be positioned as well to succeed at the onset of their careers," and will "need time and patience to maximize their potential." In addition to Hairston, the list included OT Kelvin Banks Jr, TE Colston Loveland, EDGE Mykel Williams, DT Kenneth Grant, and EDGE Shemar Stewart.

Kentucky Wildcats cornerback Maxwell Hairston poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens as the 30th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sobleski referenced the rookie corner's blazing speed, which could create "the potential to develop into an elite coverage corner." However, Hairston's "shoulder issue throughout the 2024 campaign" will be something to monitor.

Furthermore, he cited B/R scout Cory Giddings' scouting report, which detailed the potential flaw in his game. "Hairston's physicality in tackling is inconsistent, particularly in the open field...could limit his effectiveness in specific defensive schemes that require corners to play a more aggressive role against the run."

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Due to Buffalo's nature of playing a base-nickel defense, one less linebacker on the field requires the team's corners to be willing tacklers when defending the run. Hairston will need to improve this aspect of his game if he wants to earn the starting job opposite Christian Benford.

Sobleski concludes, "Hairston will get his fair share of opportunities. When he does, expect some outstanding play and some head-scratching ones as well."

Jun 11, 2025; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (31) and Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) during Minicamp at Highmark Stadium | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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