Buffalo Rumblings
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...
