The Buffalo Bills will need to fill a hole in their secondary this offseason, and one analyst believes they will take one of the most athletic players in the NFL draft to do it.
The Bills are expected to lose cornerback Rasul Douglas, who has held down a starting role since coming to the team at the 2023 trade deadline but has now hit free agency. While the Bills already have one lockdown cornerback in Christian Benford, CBS Sports analyst Peter Prisco believes they will hit the draft to find another to line up opposite Benford.
Bills Grab Versatile Defensive Back
Prisco predicted the Bills would take Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston with the No. 30 overall pick, adding an athletic and versatile defensive back. Appearing on an episode of the team-produced show One Bills Live, Prisco said Hairston seems to be a good fit for Buffalo’s defensive scheme.
“When I watch Hairston’s tape, he’s a guy that not only can cover in man-to-man situations, but he’s willing to go hit you,” Prisco said. “That’s something that you don’t see a lot and I know the Bills are big on their corners being able to tackle.”
Prisco said he believes Hairston is one of the top two cornerbacks in this year’s NFL draft, and turned heads with a 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash.
The Bills will likely need a new starter to replace Douglas, who started 15 games last season and made 58 total tackles with five pass defenses, despite some struggles in coverage. The Bills already depleted their depth at cornerback by trading former first-round pick Kaiir Elam to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Bills did address their depth in the secondary a bit, bringing back former seventh-round pick Dane Jackson, who played four seasons for the Bills before leaving for the Carolina Panthers last season.
Another Option at Cornerback
While many NFL experts believe the Bills will use their late first-round pick to address the secondary, there are some differing options on whose name might be called. ESPN analyst Matt Miller predicted the Bills would take Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos, who could help the team check off another important box in the offseason.
“The Bills were more aggressive this offseason than a year ago, locking up in-house talent (wide receiver Khalil Shakir) while bringing in free agents (edge rusher Joey Bosa),” Miller wrote. “But Buffalo needs more help in the secondary, and Amos is one of my guys in this draft.”
The Bills will ultimately need more than just depth in the secondary, looking for a starting-caliber cornerback either through free agency or the NFL draft. Miller believes Amos could eventually grow into the starter they need.
“He has size (6-1, 195 pounds) and speed (4.43 in the 40), and it shows on tape,” Miller wrote. “He executes in-phase coverage and has the skills to be an exceptional press-cover cornerback. Amos bounced around in college (Ole Miss was his third school) and is a bit raw, but he’s a playmaker who notched three interceptions last season. He has the potential to be the Bills’ future CB1 and a long-term building block.”
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