Football is often referred to as a war of attrition, and for the 2025 NFL Draft’s cornerback class, Max Hairston was one of the healthiest of the crop.
Reflecting on the Buffalo Bills’ first-round pick a day later, the former Kentucky CB was one of the best players at his position when the Bills picked at No. 30 overall. And while he may have been Buffalo’s guy, Hairston’s bill of health cleared several of his contemporaries.
Now, it must be noted that Hairston missed five games in 2024 due to a shoulder injury. But that did not withhold him throughout the draft process. He was able to compete at the Senior Bowl, to much acclaim, and at the NFL scouting combine, where he dazzled with his sub-4.3 time in the 40-yard dash and 39.5-inch vertical jump.
The same cannot be said for some of his competitors.
The name that many may have been shocked to see at No. 30 when the Bills were on the clock was Will Johnson, who was listed as PFF’s No. 14 overall prospect in the draft. But a knee issue has been flagged for the two-time All-American, eventually pushing him out of the first round.
That injury may have also contributed to why he did not run the 40 at either the combine or his pro day.
There was also East Carolina’s Shavon Revel, who has excellent tape but is coming off a torn ACL. And don’t forget Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison, who missed the last 10 games of the season with a hip injury. That withheld him from competing at the combine too, before being able to work out for scouts just this week following surgery.
So, while Hairston’s play and skill set are big reasons as to why he landed in Buffalo, there’s no denying other CB’s health boosted his stock in the class.
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