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The best thing about training camp is that it truly feels like a fresh opportunity for everyone.
Players are coming in healthy, new roster additions are taking the field with their teammates for the first time, and new systems are being implemented. It's one of the only times on the football calendar where everyone can believe that this is their year.
But despite that positivity, there's undoubtedly more pressure on some players than others. One such player on the Buffalo Bills is second-year cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
A first-round pick out of Kentucky in 2025, Hairston entered his rookie season with high expectations. The Bills were looking for a reliable boundary cornerback to play opposite Christian Benford. And while his initial minicamps looked promising, his rookie year never fully got off the ground.
In training camp, Hairston suffered a right LCL sprain, keeping him out for the first seven weeks of the season. He would play in 11 games, starting two of them, and tally two interceptions, eight passes defended, and 18 total tackles.
Going deeper into the numbers, Hairston allowed 15 catches on 25 targets for 203 yards and two touchdowns.
And while things were going ok for him as the season progressed, it would come to an abrupt end in Week 18. Playing in a meaningless game against the New York Jets due to depth concerns by the team, Hairston suffered an ankle injury that forced him to leave early. That injury would be enough to see him miss the playoffs, ending his season.
Hairston has come back healthy in 2026, participating in all of Buffalo's offseason programs. He's also expected to be a full participant when training camp begins on July 29.
That said, there's going to be pressure by way of competition for a player hoping to be the Day 1 starter come September.
The Bills drafted Ohio State's Davison Igbinosun in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. You don't take a cornerback that high with the goal of him simply being a depth player, nor does Igbinosun see himself as such for long.
The young corner has already turned some heads with his performance during OTAs and minicamps. He's also had defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard refer to the way he plays on the field as "that of a number one" corner.
If Hairston suffers a setback in his health or through his play on the field, Buffalo seems to have another young gun waiting in the wings for the opportunity to prove himself.
Bills Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Bills. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
Players are coming in healthy, new roster additions are taking the field with their teammates for the first time, and new systems are being implemented. It's one of the only times on the football calendar where everyone can believe that this is their year.
But despite that positivity, there's undoubtedly more pressure on some players than others. One such player on the Buffalo Bills is second-year cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
A first-round pick out of Kentucky in 2025, Hairston entered his rookie season with high expectations. The Bills were looking for a reliable boundary cornerback to play opposite Christian Benford. And while his initial minicamps looked promising, his rookie year never fully got off the ground.
In training camp, Hairston suffered a right LCL sprain, keeping him out for the first seven weeks of the season. He would play in 11 games, starting two of them, and tally two interceptions, eight passes defended, and 18 total tackles.
Going deeper into the numbers, Hairston allowed 15 catches on 25 targets for 203 yards and two touchdowns.
And while things were going ok for him as the season progressed, it would come to an abrupt end in Week 18. Playing in a meaningless game against the New York Jets due to depth concerns by the team, Hairston suffered an ankle injury that forced him to leave early. That injury would be enough to see him miss the playoffs, ending his season.
Hairston has come back healthy in 2026, participating in all of Buffalo's offseason programs. He's also expected to be a full participant when training camp begins on July 29.
That said, there's going to be pressure by way of competition for a player hoping to be the Day 1 starter come September.
The Bills drafted Ohio State's Davison Igbinosun in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. You don't take a cornerback that high with the goal of him simply being a depth player, nor does Igbinosun see himself as such for long.
The young corner has already turned some heads with his performance during OTAs and minicamps. He's also had defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard refer to the way he plays on the field as "that of a number one" corner.
If Hairston suffers a setback in his health or through his play on the field, Buffalo seems to have another young gun waiting in the wings for the opportunity to prove himself.
Bills Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Bills. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
