The Buffalo Bills addressed one of their biggest needs in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday when they selected Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston with the 30th overall pick. The Bills are coming off one of the most successful seasons in recent memory as they finished with a 13-4 record and made it to the AFC Championship Game before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
One of the weaknesses that came up for Buffalo was the lack of depth at the cornerback spot, especially with Kaiir Elam not panning out after being taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Hairston brings big-play ability to the Bills' defensive backfield and that upside should play well for a unit that would like to take advantage of teams throwing away from Christian Benford.
Time will tell if Hairston is good enough to start opposite Benford at the beginning of the regular season, but after Elam was traded to the Dallas Cowboys and the Bills signed Tre'Davious White earlier this summer, Hairston could be put in a spot to see more snaps than the average rookie cornerback. With that being said, here are some highlights of Hairston to get Bills fans familiar with what he will bring to the team when he steps on the field:
Maxwell Hairston Highlights
Maxwell Hairston is a GREAT pick #BillsMafia
Extremely fast, fluid mover, instinctive and carries a certain energy in his play.
Go Bills pic.twitter.com/nGV19ixJnc
Maxwell Hairston Highlights
Maxwell Hairston can FLY! 💨 pic.twitter.com/hcESVPa5rl
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) April 25, 2025Maxwell Hairston Highlights
Maxwell Hairston is a electrifying player
Speed demon playmaker excellent footwork and hopefully will be the CB2 this team needs ⚡️ #BillsMafia
pic.twitter.com/X0vesBtZ1B
Maxwell Hairston Highlights
CB Maxwell Hairston
Thin-framed cornerback with a zone-first skill set, but flashes the footwork and traits to succeed in man coverage. Projects best in a zone-match or off-man scheme, with upside if he develops physically and becomes a consistent tackler vs run
Strengths:… pic.twitter.com/EwQtZx1CJi
Maxwell Hairston Highlights
NFL Films' @gregcosell on Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston🔊⬇️
"I think he's got the physical traits to pretty much do anything" pic.twitter.com/XFA2K4D5mD
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Highlights of Bills' first-round pick Maxwell Hairston
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