The Buffalo Bills needed to improve on defense after a season where they came up short yet again in the postseason. That seemed to be the prevailing theme of the team’s offseason moves, anyway, as the front office poured more resources into that side of the ball than they did the offensive play makers at quarterback Josh Allen’s disposal.
While plenty of attention was paid to the additions the team made along the defensive line, the Bills didn’t skimp on adding talent in the defensive secondary, either.
Buffalo drafted three defensive backs in April, and they signed two more familiar faces as veteran reinforcements at corner.
In our latest edition of “90 players in 90 days,” we discuss Buffalo’s top draft choice in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Name: Maxwell Hairston
Number: 31
Position: CB
Height/Weight: 5’11”, 183 pounds
Age: 22 (23 on 8/6/2026)
Experience/Draft: R; selected by Buffalo in the first round (No. 30 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft
College: Kentucky
Acquired: First-round draft choice
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Hairston signed his rookie contract this summer. It’s a four-year deal with a fifth-year option, just like all contracts for first-round draft picks. In total, Hairston’s deal is worth a fully guaranteed $15,257,982 without that fifth-year option. For the 2025 season, Hairston’s cap hit is $2,778.042.
2024 Recap: After a stellar sophomore season, Hairston’s junior year was less impressive overall. That was due in large part to a shoulder injury, which caused him to miss five of the Wildcats’ games. Overall, though, Hairston still showed himself to be an excellent cover corner. He had one interception, which he returned for a touchdown, and four pass breakups to go with 19 tackles, one tackle for loss, two forced fumbles, and one sack. He finished his UK career with six interceptions, three of which he returned for scores.
For his efforts, Hairston was invited to the Senior Bowl and named Second-Team All-SEC. At the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Hairston showed off blazing speed, running a 4.28-second 40-yard dash. His 39.5” vertical and 10’9” broad jump showed off his explosive athleticism, as well.
Positional outlook: Hairston is likely to see time starting on the outside this season. Tre’Davious White, Christian Benford, Ja’Marcus Ingram, and Dorian Strong are the team’s other outside corners.
2025 Offseason: Hairston is on Injured Reserve (IR) thanks to a knee injury he suffered during training camp practice. He’ll miss at least the team’s first four games as a result. Hairston was also sued on July 1 in relation to an alleged sexual assault from his days at the University of Kentucky. Hairston maintains his innocence.
2025 Season outlook: When the Bills made Hairston the thirtieth pick in the draft, I expected that he would be the starting corner in Week 1. Now that he’s on IR, that obviously won’t be the case, and even if he returns to the team as early as he can, it’s likely that it will take time for him to grow into his role on a professional field.
The Bills planned for depth by signing a respected veteran in White, but let’s be honest: there is no world in which the Bills want the veteran starting against, say, the Kansas City Chiefs later this season. There’s a saying in coaching that I’ve heard general manager Brandon Beane say once or twice, and it’s that a team’s last game will tell them what they need to improve upon for the following season.
Buffalo’s last game last season showed that they desperately needed to add athleticism to the defensive secondary. They did that with Hairston, and it should come as zero surprise that they added a speedster who can stick with a certain speedy wideout who plays for the Chiefs, either.
The sky is not falling, however. Hairston should be able to make it back before the end of October, and while this LCL injury might delay his entry into the starting lineup, the Bills will likely be able to work him in slowly throughout the winter.
This is the third corner the Bills have selected in the first round during head coach Sean McDermott’s tenure. One of those players was a resounding success story, and while his career was derailed by injury, he was one of the league’s best when healthy. One of those players was also a total bust, and the Bills cut their losses and traded Kaiir Elam to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this offseason.
Hairston’s story is yet to be written, but his athletic profile suggests someone who should be able to step in and help the Bills almost immediately, especially in man coverage. If the Bills want to take the next step and win a Super Bowl this season, Hairston could be a tremendous factor in their ability to do so.
