Maxwell Hairston experienced the latest in a series of firsts Friday.
The cornerback’s first official practice as a member of the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo Bills Rookie Minicamp (copy)
Rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston went through his first practice as a member of the Buffalo Bills on Friday as part of rookie minicamp. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Hairston, the team’s first-round draft pick out of Kentucky, is one of 51 players participating in the team’s rookie minicamp, a group made up of draft picks, undrafted free agent signings, select first-year players and a group of 26 players being looked at on a tryout basis.
“It was exciting – finally got out there (to) get some action,” Hairston said Friday. “It was a lot, just adjusting from the college game to this, but I enjoyed myself. A lot to work on, but just so good to get my feet wet again.”
Hairston, wearing No. 30, went through individual drills with a group of 11 defensive backs – the largest position group participating in the rookie camp. The on-field work represented his first chance to work directly with Bills cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae.
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For every player in attendance – be it one trying out or, in the case of Hairston, chosen in the first round – the minicamp provides the first real understanding of how much actually goes into transitioning from college to the professional game. Coaches intentionally throw a lot at the players in attendance to see just how quickly they can grasp the concepts asked of them.
To prepare himself, Hairston has reached out to old teammates, one of them being current Bills running back Ray Davis, who is going into his second NFL season.
“I’m just taking everything that I learned from the guys that have been here before me and trying to apply it to my game,” Hairston said. “Right now, I’m just trying to execute everything that my coach is teaching me.”
Receiver Kaden Prather, who was drafted in the seventh round, matched up against Hairston a couple times during practice, and came away impressed.
“Max is the guy,” Prather said. “Fast, patient, and most importantly, smart. He’s an even better guy. You think of first-rounders, and you think, ‘Oh, they too cool,’ but he hangs around with us. He’s a really good guy. We had a couple matchups, and we were going back and forth. It’s good competition.”
Hairston is one of three defensive backs the Bills drafted last month, with Ohio State’s Jordan Hancock and Virginia Tech’s Dorian Strong being the others. Hairston and Hancock bonded at the NFL scouting combine, so there was an immediate chemistry when the Bills drafted them both. Hairston said Friday he was impressed with Strong’s on-field work, adding that he plans to lean on his classmate during the onboarding process.
The list of tasks for a rookie cornerback adjusting to the NFL game is a long one. Hairston’s focus Friday was having his eyes in the right place, covering the right zone, getting used to the quarterback’s cadence and getting in and out of his breaks faster.
Rookie minicamp will be followed by voluntary, full-team spring practices, then a three-day mandatory minicamp before the team takes a break. After that, a long season begins in late July with training camp at St. John Fisher in Pittsford.
Every rep between now and then will be valuable as Hairston looks to make an immediate contribution to the Bills’ defense in 2025.
As such, now is the time to get the inevitable mistakes out of the way. Hairston is aware those will come, but also that he can fix them. He understands he’s back at square one, and is eager to make improvements day by day.
“I’m very anxious,” Hairston said. “I was like a little kid trying to go to sleep before Christmas last night. … It’s OK to be anxious, but to still go out there and be confident and know what I have, know what to do and execute. It’s all just a learning process.”
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