Maxwell Hairston steps into plug-and-play situation with Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills selected Ray Davis in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That pick immediately appeared to be a great fit as Davis could seamlessly step into the RB2 role behind James Cook. The AFC East juggernaut has taken another Kentucky player that seems like a perfect fit just one year later.

Maxwell Hairston should be a plug-and-play starter in Buffalo.

Tommy welcoming our newest Buffalo Bill!

📺: @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/7PTVxyXKFb

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) April 25, 2025

Cornerback immediately stood out as a big need for general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott. Buffalo returns former sixth-round pick Christian Benford for his fourth year with the franchise but had a huge hole to fill at CB2. The Bills recently brought former first-round pick Tre’Davious White back on a one-year deal but the 30-year-old has seen a drop off in play over the last few seasons. Buffalo needed a rookie to come in and grab a starting spot.

The Super Bowl contender spent some valuable draft capital for Maxwell Hairston to come in and take a starting spot. Hairston comes from a Cover 3-heavy scheme at Kentucky and is heading to a Cover 3-heavy scheme in the NFL. The fit between organization and player stood out from jump and turned into a partnership on draft day. Hairston can succeed in zone coverage and showed some playmaking traits as a man coverage cornerback that ultimately made him a first-round prospect.

Maxwell Hairston is the first Kentucky defensive back in program history to be selected in the first round. The former three-star recruit out of Greater Detroit will head to Buffalo where a starting spot will likely be his and the defensive scheme will be one he should be very comfortable in.

Expect Hairston to have a big role in Buffalo immediately.

Luckett’s Scouting Report: Maxwell Hairston

Maxwell Hairston was a two-year starter for Kentucky playing in a defensive scheme that asked cornerbacks to hold up in man coverage and play with good instincts in zone. Hariston has a ton of reps banked in Cover 3 but also has some impressive reps as a man coverage cornerback.

Hairston’s top-end speed shows up on tape and his ball skills are evident. The cornerback brings some scheme versatility to the table and good length despite being sub-190 pounds. This is a sticky coverage cornerback who has shown feel and awareness to succeed in zone coverage. Also does a good job of recovering when the ball is in the air. If Hairston tackles like he did in 2022, this is a cornerback with the full package. Durability could be a concern after getting injured in the Citrus Bowl in 2023 and missing nearly half the season in 2024.

The Kentucky cornerback has the game to be a potential day one starter in the NFL at outside cornerback.