Buffalo Rumblings
When I looked at team needs for the Buffalo Bills this past offseason, I placed defensive back as my top priority for improvement. While I was personally suggesting safety, corner was right up there with it. The Bills selected Maxwell Hairston with their first-round pick and it immediately felt like “Plan A” in addressing the top need.
Then Hairston was hurt during training camp and we had to wait… and wait… and wait. The wait is over finally, with Hairston making his debut in Week 8. So how did Hairston do in his first true NFL action? Below we’ll attempt to tackle that very question.
Hairston didn’t have a wealth of snaps (27 or 44%) so there won’t be a ton of clips for his first game, but this one is a decent summary. I don’t think Hairston was tested with anything crazy against the Carolina Panthers, but what he was tested with he did well. This route was mostly about speed and Hairston has plenty of it. He also shaded well with a small shift during the route, and slowed down as his opponent did at the end.
The routes run here by Carolina caused some stress to Buffalo’s defense, but Hairston did a good job of going around his teammate. There was a short window where the pick had the desired effect and Hairston was there for an after-the-catch tackle rather than a potential break up. Did you remember that Hairston had the fastest 40-time at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine? Because he did and it shows up as he closed and ended up in great position on the route.
This tackle was memorable because of the big hit, but I wanted to show it for another reason. Hairston was able to make the big hit because he saw the play quickly and planted to crash down on the ball. I’d also point out that this was a great open-field tackle. It’s not just the hit, but the wrap and roll.
It’ll be intriguing to see how much playing time Maxwell Hairston gets in the coming weeks. Will it be opponent specific? Based on injury recovery? We’ll have to wait and see. The reason I find it intriguing though is we know that sooner or later Hairston will be tested more than he was against the Panthers.
His speed and athletic traits flash on film and early returns suggest capability in the Bills’ scheme. Hairston looks like an infusion of talent and, for right now, that’s plenty.
