Maxwell Hairston

Career StatsC

Year	Team	GP	INT	PD	Tkl
Career		11	2	5	18
2025		11	2	5	18

Updated Jun 16, 2026

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Among cornerback contracts at this AAV tier, Maxwell Hairston grades a C Contract Value Index. The 22-year-old first-round pick is working with a $3.8M AAV over four years—textbook rookie scale territory—but his 2025 season production of 18 tackles and 2 interceptions across 11 games aligns perfectly with a middling performance grade, meaning the contract itself is not the problem; the on-field output is. At this salary level, cornerback depth starters typically command more consistent snap counts and measurable statistical impact, and Hairston's modest counting stats suggest he's still operating at a developmental pace rather than as a roster cornerstone. The CVI reflects the reality that while his rookie deal carries minimal cap burden and absolute financial risk, the first-round draft capital and four-year runway create a hard performance expectation—he's not overpaid, but he's not yet earning the investment either. Media framing makes clear this is a prove-it year: recent headlines range from "Breakout CB?" skepticism to "Fighting for His Job" urgency, and Buffalo's secondary additions signal the team is not holding developmental patience in reserve. Over the next 91 days before the regular season, Hairston's contract value hinges entirely on whether he can convert flashes of athleticism into consistent starting-level performance; without that trajectory shift, his CVI will remain neutral to slightly underwater.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Maxwell's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Maxwell Hairston's tape and counting stats together earn a C performance grade. His 2025 season delivered modest production across 11 games — 18 tackles and 2 interceptions — that reflects a rookie corner still acclimating to the professional game but flashing enough to justify the first-round investment. The interceptions represent his clearest strength, showing the ball skills and instinct that made him a coveted prospect before the draft, but 18 tackles across 11 games signals limited snap share and opportunities that stem from both injury setbacks and the benching situation that defined much of his early-season arc. Durability and consistent snaps remain the critical issue; a developmental cornerback cannot separate from draft pedigree on part-time reps, and Hairston's rookie year was fractured by injuries and coaching decisions that kept him off the field. Heading into 2026 with a full offseason of work ahead of him, Hairston sits at a pivotal crossroads — the measurables and flashes from his Week 8 debut suggest genuine upside, but the modest first-year output and the team's recent additions of competing defensive backs signal this is a prove-it summer. The narrative around him remains cautiously optimistic but grounded in potential rather than proven production, and his path to legitimate cornerstone status hinges entirely on staying healthy and winning consistent playing time when the regular season begins.

How Maxwell Compares at the Position

Maxwell Hairston ranks 115th of 270 graded cornerbacks by performance. That slots Maxwell between Caelen Carson (C) just ahead and Eric Stokes (C) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Recent headlines push Maxwell Hairston's sentiment grade to a C+, with Buffalo's broader season shaping the read. The narrative surrounding the 22-year-old cornerback is unmistakably fractured — early praise for his Week 8 debut flashes of athleticism and instinct competed immediately with injury setbacks and a benching that forced the conversation away from upside and toward readiness questions, leaving media and fans in a state of cautious ambivalence rather than either conviction or dismissal. His 2025 season production of 18 tackles and 2 interceptions across 11 games aligns squarely with his C performance grade, meaning the perception problem and the production problem are reinforcing each other; there's no veteran polish or late-season surge masking modest counting stats. The Bills' recent defensive back additions—notably the signing of Geno Stone and the release of CB Daryl Porter Jr.—have subtly shifted the pressure onto Hairston's shoulders, signaling that Buffalo is not holding roster spots in anticipation of his development and that 2026 feels unmistakably like a prove-it year for his long-term standing. With 91 days until the regular season, Hairston occupies the most perilous space a first-round defensive back can occupy: the first-round investment keeps some optimism alive, but the combination of injury concerns, limited production, and roster competition has left the fanbase and media treating him as a genuine training camp competition rather than an ascending cornerstone.