The Bills took a big swing during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston with the 30th pick. But what if Buffalo could redo that selection? Would it still choose Hairston, or would it pivot to someone else?
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport conducted a 2025 first-round re-draft and had the Bills passing on Hairston for Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, whom the Eagles took with the 31st pick, shortly after the Bills drafted Hairston.
“Jihaad Campbell had a relatively modest rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles—80 total tackles in 17 games and 10 starts,” Davenport wrote on Friday. “However, while talking to reporters, former teammate Nakobe Dean said that he expects Campbell’s game to go to the next level in 2026.
“In this re-draft, Campbell will be attempting to make that Year 2 surge for a Bills team that could use an upgrade at linebacker after fielding a bottom-five run defense last year. Terrel Bernard is a capable NFL starter, but Dorian Williams is a replacement-level talent. Campbell would provide immediate help opposite Bernard with the potential to eventually take over as the team’s “green dot” linebacker.”
Hairston had a Rough Rookie Season
The Bills thought they were possibly getting a true No. 1 cornerback when they selected Hairston, but he didn’t show those flashes in his first season. He did have a setback during training camp when he suffered an LCL sprain at the end of July. Hairston missed most of training camp and all of the preseason, and he didn’t return to action until Week 8.
Hairston played in 11 games, starting three, recording 18 combined tackles, five pass deflections and two interceptions.
If Hairston had been able to play a full season and attend a full training camp, he might have had a better rookie season. Given the limited sample size, the pick isn’t very impressive at the moment.
How Did Jihaad Campbell do in His Rookie Season?
Campbell appeared in all 17 games for the Eagles, starting in 10 of them. He recorded a total of 80 combined tackles, along with two tackles for loss and one quarterback hit. His stats aren’t all that impressive, but Pro Football Focus did rank him high in a handful of its categories. PFF ranked Campbell as the 14th linebacker out of 88 last season, ranking 37th in run defense, 54th in pass rush, but fifth in coverage.
If the Bills had drafted Campbell, they could have secured a potential star linebacker for the future. Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 244 pounds, Campbell possesses the elite size that could have made him a nightmare for opposing AFC East teams.
While everyone thinks Buffalo would still lean towards defense in a 2025 re-draft, there’s a good chance they would look to go on offense. The Bills could have taken a wide receiver with the 30th pick, which would have prevented them from trading a 2026 second-round pick to the Chicago Bears this offseason for wide receiver DJ Moore.
Hopefully, Hairston can take a giant step forward this season and stay healthy to help Buffalo reach its goal of winning a Super Bowl.
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