By Jack Stewart
With the 30th overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills picked Maxwell Hairston, a cornerback out of the University of Kentucky. Leading up to the draft, getting help in the secondary was one of the most important tasks for general manager Brandon Beane and the rest of the organization. To fix this, the team landed on Hairston, who had a great career with the Wildcats over his three seasons and will hopefully continue to perform for the Bills.
One of Hairston’s most impressive traits is his speed, which he showed off at this year’s combine. His 40-yard dash time of 4.28 seconds was the fastest among all the players who competed, and will be extremely useful against some of the Bills’ toughest opponents. His quickness will allow Buffalo’s secondary to compete with players like Tyreek Hill and Xavier Worthy, who have both been challenges for the Bills. Hairston was also able to put up great interception and tackle numbers during his time at Kentucky, proving his versatility. In 2023, he led the SEC in interceptions with five and finished third in solo tackles with 55. These totals also included two defensive touchdowns and 131 interception return yards. This past season, however, Hairston saw a drop in production, which occurred due to a shoulder injury which saw him sit out five games. Even with the shoulder injury, he should be perfectly ready for the NFL season’s kickoff this September.
Overall, Maxwell Hairston is an exciting young prospect for Buffalo Bills fans and a great cornerback who can anchor their defense for years to come. While his exceptional on-the-field performance shows promise, interviews with Hairston also reveal his likable personality and unique drive to improve. Live coverage of the draft saw him lifting up and supporting other players and his post-draft press coverage showed how personable he was. Hairston fits perfectly both within the Bills locker room and in the city of Buffalo, hopefully being a mainstay of future Bills teams for years to come.