Bills' Final St. John Fisher Practice Takeaways Include Maxwell Hairston's Absence

Friday was the end of the first stage of training camp for the Buffalo Bills as they held their final practice at St. John Fisher University.

The Bills will leave Pittsford and make their way back to Orchard Park, where they will continue camp at their headquarters at One Bills Drive. As they wrap up their road trip, let's look back at some key takeaways from the Bills' final practice at St. John Fisher.

Under-the-radar EDGE turns heads

Andre Jones Jr. cuts around a blocking sled during day two of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Andre Jones appeared in three games for the Bills last season and recorded five tackles. He entered camp this year without much fanfare, but has been a stellar performer throughout their seven practices. Matt Parrino said he has been consistently pressuring the quarterback and was again making his mark on Friday. It won't be easy for him to make the roster this year, given the depth of the position, but Jones might be doing enough to convince another team to give him an opportunity.

Maxwell Hairston sits out

Bills defensive back Maxwell Hairston gets the fans pumped up as he comes over to sign autographs. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Second-year cornerback Maxwell Hairston has put together a solid camp thus far. That shouldn't be surprising considering the first-round pick out of Kentucky performed well whenever he was on the field last season. The only issue was that Hairston dealt with injuries throughout the year, limiting him to just 11 games. He also missed the postseason after suffering an injury in the Week 18 finale against the New York Jets.

That's why there was some slight concern when Hairston wasn't on the field on Friday. He was apparently banged up on Thursday, but head coach Joe Brady said his absence on Friday was just a precaution. Still, given his history, it's worth monitoring the situation.

Dee Alford shaken up

Buffalo Bills cornerback Dee Alford trains during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The secondary took another hit during practice, with nickel corner Dee Alford making his way to the medical tent after defending a deep pass from Josh Allen. Alford hit the ground hard, and was slow to get up. When he left the medical tent, Alford watched from the sideline with no helmet. Injuries were a major concern for Buffalo's secondary last year, making it very concerning to see multiple defensive backs getting banged up during camp.

Joshua Palmer creates separation from Keon Coleman

Joshua Palmer starts his route for a catching drill at Buffalo Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher University. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The battle for the WR3 spot isn't turning out to be very competitive. Keon Coleman started camp on a high note, but recently has had issues with drops, including multiple on Friday. That hasn't been the case for Joshua Palmer, who started slow as he was recovering from an injury.

Once Palmer was up to full speed, however, it became apparent that he is the far more complete receiver. He had another strong performance on Friday, putting his smooth route running a soft hands on display.

Landon Jackson continues to surge

Bills DE Landon Jackson stretches out for the ball during position drills simulating an interception opportunity. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Landon Jackson suffered a torn MCL and PCL last season, ending his rookie campaign after just three games. The 2025 third-round pick is back and fully healthy this year, and has put together a strong camp. On Friday, he made it look easy against the second-team offensive line, making multiple run stops. Jackson's size and power make him a great fit for Jim Leonhard's defense, and he's showing how disruptive he can be when he plays with confidence.

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