NFL Draft Day 1: Buffalo Bills

By: Randall Slifer

The Buffalo Bills came into the draft with ten picks and the 30^th pick of the first round of the NFL draft. There were a lot of questions about what position Buffalo may go to when we needed multiple positions on the defensive side, and a wide receiver was a hot topic for Buffalo this week. Brandon Beane decided to stick and pick and go with the cornerback from Kentucky, Maxwell Hairston. Buffalo was in a dire need to draft a starting caliber cornerback opposite of Christian Benford, with more depth pieces than starters behind him on the roster. Let’s look at Max (which he prefers to be called) and how prolific of a player he is entering the NFL.

Max Hairston brings speed to Buffalo Bill’s cornerback room that we did not have currently on the roster. Max came into the combine and destroyed it. Hairston has an extensive track background and that translates well to the NFL. Max ran a 4.29 forty-yard dash with a 1.49 10-yard split! The fastest cornerback the Buffalo Bills have drafted in the last forty years was Nate Clement and Ronald Darby. They both ran a measly 4.38 forty-yard dash. He had a 39 ½ inch vertical and a broad jump of over ten feet. Everyone likes to claim the combine, or the “underwear Olympics”, do not hold value in their draft stock, but we all know it certainly does affect the draft! One thing is for certain, Max’s testing shows up on tape. His explosive first step gives him an edge to run routes for receivers and he can cover crossers and vertical routes without breaking a sweat. Max’s closing speed helps him gain ground if he is falling behind and the ability to recover and helps limit yards after the catch. He has good length with 31-inch arms and just over 5’11, so he can create his own island and operate by himself to shut down the team’s top wide receiver.

Max combines his athleticism and his feel-in zone coverage to be a ball hawk and a disruptor. He has very good route recognition with great zone awareness to jump routes or even run the route for the wide receiver. He baits quarterbacks into making throws because Max knows he can close space so quickly, that he will hold off a yard or two to make the throw enticing enough to pull the trigger. Hairston has three forced fumbles and 6 interceptions in 20 games played in the last two years at Kentucky. One of the more prolific interceptions that showed his talents was against Missouri in 2023. Hairston backpedaled showing he was covering the vertical route, only to stick his foot into the ground and take away the intermediate sail route to come up with an interception that seemed difficult, but he made it look easy.

Brandon Beane mentioned that Buffalo did not have 30 first-round grades, and a rumor came out that Buffalo only had 12 first-round grades. After the first round of the draft, he told the media that Buffalo did have a first-round grade on Max. Beane stated, “You love when the grade matches the value and matches the need”. It is always fair to judge a general manager’s quotes after they draft a player, but if they did happen to land one of their twelve first-round grades at pick 30, then that is surgical work as a general manager. There were three cornerbacks available at pick 30 between Max Hairston, Azareye’h Thomas, and Trey Amos. Brandon Beane decided on taking the cornerback with speed. Just in the 2024 draft alone, 17 wide receivers or running backs ran a 4.40 forty-yard dash or better. Buffalo added speed when our toughest AFC competition includes players Xavier Worthy, Tyreek Hill, Lamar Jackson, and Ladd McConkey. Max brings that extra package to Buffalo to ensure we can prepare for anything that other teams throw at them throughout the season.

The Buffalo Bills have two early picks on day two of the draft. Buffalo holds picks 56 and 62, both in the second round. Buffalo has nine more picks in total, and they can move around the board if they need to today. The Bills are still in need of a defensive tackle, edge rusher, and wide receiver among other positions. The first round fell particularly well for Buffalo after taking their cornerback as there are plenty of really good players available for tonight’s picks. Buffalo has done extensive research on Arkansas’ Landon Jackson with multiple meetings and workouts and there is a lot of buzz that Buffalo likes Landon Jackson. Brandon Beane also loves prospects who play in the Senior Bowl and if Buffalo loves a guy, they may only talk to the prospect at the Senior Bowl. There are many routes Brandon Beane could go today, but my dream scenario is moving around today to get the exact prospects Buffalo is looking for and potentially acquiring another day-two pick by moving into round three. I have my eyes on some prospects I hope Buffalo takes in rounds two or three. In short, I would love to see Toledo’s defensive tackle, Darius Alexander. When you watch his tape, you see glimpses of Chris Jones in his game, and how could you not want that? Other NFL prospects I love include: Washington State WR Kyle Williams, Utah State WR Jalen Royals, Texas DT Alfred Collins, LSU Edge Bradyn Swinson, Texas S Andrew Mukuba, among many other dynamic players available. This draft is incredibly deep with shining depth players that can become stars in the NFL. As Bills Mafia including myself always say, In Beane, we trust. Let’s have a day, today!

Who are some of your prospects you would love to see drafted today for your team or the Buffalo Bills? Reach out to me on Twitter/Bluesky @RandallSlifer or comment here below! Go Bills!