Time is running out for Buffalo Bills cornerback and 2025 1st-round pick Maxwell Hairston, who is shaping up to be one of the franchise’s bigger draft busts in recent memory.
Hairston continues to struggle to level up as his team chases a Super Bowl, and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put the Kentucky product at the top of his list of NFL coaches and players on the hot seat headed into Week 6.
“This season was supposed to be a fresh start for Hairston, but his first month was a mess,” Barnwell wrote on October 15. “The 23-year-old allowed two touchdown passes in the 29-26 loss to the Patriots, leading defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard to publicly encourage Hairston to temper his emotions … The Bills have said the right thing publicly, but actions speak louder than words. Against the Rams on Monday, Hairston’s snap share cratered with the return of Christian Benford. The Bills kept Davison Igbinosun in the lineup ahead of Hairston, who played just 15 snaps on defense. Igbinosun committed a pass interference penalty in the red zone and allowed a touchdown catch, which won’t help his case, but he still appears to be ahead of Hairston on the depth chart.”
Hairston Apologizes After Petty Moment
Hairston’s rookie year was pretty much a wash after he missed 8 games—6 regular-season games and 2 playoff games—due to a knee injury and never got to be a full-time starter.
Things got weird this year when he refused to speak with the media and stormed out of the locker room after the loss to the Patriots.
The next day, Hairston returned with an apology.
“I wanted to start this off by apologizing for walking out yesterday,” Hairston said. “I was feeling very emotional; I let my emotions get the best of me, and I didn’t want to say something I might have regretted.”
Hairston, a 2025 1st-round pick (No. 30 overall), has struggled mightily this season — through 4 games, his 39.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks him 100th out of 104 eligible players at his position.
Bills Head Coach Defended Hairston After Loss
Hairston had 1 key defender after his struggles against the Patriots — 1st-year head coach Joe Brady.
“There’s a reason that Maxwell Hairston is out there,” Brady said after the game. “We’re young on defense. We need to be able to work through some things. I trust our defensive coaches. I don’t want to be a micromanager and say ‘hey, take him out.’ I’ve got all the confidence in Maxwell.”
The real failure probably falls on the Bills coaching staff and scouting department that selected Hairston — within the next five picks they could have had Cleveland Browns inside linebacker and 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger or Seattle Seahawks starting safety Nick Emmanwori.
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