Maxwell Hairston Poised to Break Out in 2026
As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, the Buffalo Bills are still far from done this offseason. They still have some holes on the roster, but one area of strength is at cornerback. They’ll likely add some depth through the draft.
As things currently stand, though, the starters at the position will be Christian Benford , Maxwell Hairston , and Dee Alford. While Benford and Alford are established veterans in the league, Hairston is the wild card among them. However, under new defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard , Hairston is poised for a breakout season.
Hairston Flashed Plenty of Potential After being selected 30th in the 2025 NFL Draft, Hairston went into Bills training camp fighting for a starting job. Unfortunately for Hairston, he suffered a knee injury and started the season on injured reserve. By the time he came back, the Bills were already comfortable starting Tre’Davious White opposite of Benford.
While Hairston only played in 11 games and started three due to injury, he made the most of his opportunities. This was most evident during his second-career game against the Chiefs, where he was tasked with covering Xavier Worthy . Throughout the game, he kept up stride-for-stride with Worthy, who owns the record for fastest 40-yard dash.
For the game, Worthy was held to just three catches for 23 yards. Hairston’s most impressive play came when he intercepted Patrick Mahomes after sticking with Worthy on a deep ball. Like most rookie corners, there were growing pains for Hairston, but the flashes of potential he showed outweighed the struggles.
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