Maxwell Hairston is the name on the minds of Buffalo Bills fans.
Hairston, a cornerback from Kentucky, was Buffalo’s top selection at No. 30 overall in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL draft.
As the team’s first pick at this year’s draft, Hairston will have a chance to make an impact with the Bills. You’ll want to get to know such a player now.
With that, here are eight things to know about the newest Bills cornerback:
Was at the draft
Starting off simple: For those who did not stay awake for the late night event since the Bills did not make a pick until near midnight… Hairston was invited to attend the draft in Green Bay. Only a handful of prospects are invited each year, 17 were there in 2025, and Hairston was one of them.
He ended up getting a lot of praise for cheering on his fellow players when they were drafted:
Bills had interest
Each offseason, NFL teams are allowed to bring in 30 total prospects for in-depth scouting at their own team’s facilities. Hairston was one of those few who were brought in to Buffalo.
Nickname
Call him “Mad Max.”
After hearing his name called, Hairston spoke to the media and revealed that is his nickname. Hairston said it dates back to when he played Little League and added that “Max” instead of his full name is also fine.
Speedster
The top highlight of Hairston prior to the draft was not one from a game. Instead, it was his combine workout. Hairston ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine this year (4.28).
Ball-hawking talent
Hairston has a knack for taking the ball away and he showed that during his 2023 season at Kentucky. During that season, Hairston had five interceptions in only 13 games played. Of those, two of them he took back for pick-six touchdowns.
Slight injury concern
There does not seem to be an issue with Hairston regarding injuries currently. His promising 2023 season was just noted, but last year he missed five games. Hairston was dealing with a shoulder injury but he did have an interception, five passes defended and a forced fumble in seven games played.
General manager Brandon Beane did not seem too concerned about that, either. He called Hairston a “willing tackler” after the team selected him.
Has an arm
Bills quarterback Josh Allen doesn’t need to be concerned, but this is neat. Hairston got a cool opportunity just about a week ago. He threw out the first pitch at a Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball game:
Cool ending to high school
Hairston had a top-tier finish to his high school football career at West Bloomfield School. If you’re curious about the Tigers, West Bloomfield is in Michigan.
In double overtime of the state championship game in 2020, Hairston caught the game-winning touchdown as a team captain. He was an all-state player, in little surprise.