The Buffalo Bills could have a major concern in their secondary.
Buffalo selected cornerback Maxwell Hairston in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Kentucky. The speedy cornerback was expected to compete for a starting role last year, but he suffered an injury in camp, which hindered his season.
Hairston did end up appearing in 11 games, started 3, and had mixed results. Yet, entering this year, Hairston was expected to start alongside Christian Benford. However, in the joint practice with the Cleveland Browns, he struggled, and analyst Ryan Talbot of NYUP.com gave Hairston a harsh outlook.
“Jim Leonhard has been adamant that Maxwell Hairston can play man defense in the Bills’ new scheme,” Talbot wrote. “That could end up being the case, but Hairston struggled multiple times in reps against rookie Denzel Boston. Hairston was unable to get his hands on Boston through much of the practice, leading to the rookie receiver creating plenty of separation against the second-year cornerback.
“Hairston does deserve some praise for finishing practice with a strong pass breakup and near interception against Boston to end the two-minute drill for Buffalo’s defense. Buffalo drafted Davison Igbinosun to improve the team’s depth at cornerback, but he could find himself on the field if Hairston struggles early in the regular season.”
The Bills’ secondary needs to step up, and if Hairston can’t win the starting job, it would be a major disappointment. Brandon Beane’s other first-round cornerback pick, Kaiir Elam, was a bust, and Hairston could now be trending in that direction if the struggles continue.
Bills Drafted Igbinosun for Depth
Buffalo did add to its cornerback room in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Bills traded back into the second round to select Davison Igbinosun out of Ohio State.
The trade up to select a cornerback was surprising, but Igbinosun adds depth to the secondary and could very well start this season.
“You want to make sure, as the season goes along, if injury strikes, that you’ve got enough guys, even if they’re not starters,” Beane said after selecting Igbinosun. “How many guys we went through last season that played in the playoffs for us, or helped us get to the playoffs. So you’re going to need those guys. …
“Corners are premium positions. Those guys are all going to play, they’re going to play. It’s a long season. And when you have corners that are not capable, they get bull’s-eyes on them real fast, and especially when you’re playing the prime-time quarterbacks, the prime-time offenses in this league.”
So, the Bills trading up for a cornerback could end up saving the team’s secondary.
Buffalo Value Joint Practice
The Bills had a joint practice with the Browns before their preseason game on Saturday, and Buffalo is happy about it.
Bills head coach Joe Brady felt like joint practices help the team prepare for the season.
“I think it’s critical in terms of your ramp up period for training camp,” Brady said. “You try to be intentional about what you’re trying to get out of it, when you’re doing this joint practice, the volume of plays, the tempo of what you’re doing. (You can) see where your conditioning is, your understanding of scheme, your technique, and putting it all together, going against a different opponent. The ones should come out of today’s practice with 40 to 50 reps. It’s as regular season as it can kind of get, and so that’s what’s exciting about it.”
The Bills are set to play the Browns on the road on Saturday.
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