The Buffalo Bills left the door open for veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas to return after he hit free agency.
The NFL draft may have slammed it shut.
The Bills used their top pick on Kentucky cornerback Max Hairston, who is expected to compete for the starting job that Douglas occupied since joining the team ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. After the Bills already brought back veterans Dane Jackson and Tre’Davious White in free agency, some insiders believe the chances of Douglas re-signing in Buffalo may have faded.
Bills Making Changes in the Secondary
As reporter Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 noted, the Bills have already overhauled their secondary from the 2024 season. They not only passed on signing Douglas when he hit free agency, but also traded former first-round pick Kaiir Elam to the Dallas Cowboys.
“At CB this offseason, the Bills have essentially swapped: Rasul Douglas and Kaiir Elam -for- Max Hairston, Tre’Davious White, Dane Jackson,” Capaccio wrote in a post on X.
Douglas had started 23 games for the Bills since joining midway through the 2023 season. He had a strong start with four interceptions — including one returned for a touchdown — in the nine games he played in 2023. But Douglas saw a dip in production last season, recording no interceptions but making 58 total tackles.
The Bills originally released White in March 2024, part of a roster purge that saw a number of veteran players being released to save cap space. He originally signed with the Los Angeles Rams but was traded to the Baltimore Ravens. The Bills re-signed him earlier this month, bringing him back to the team that selected him in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Max Hairston Could Play Big Role
Hairston, the fastest player in the draft with a time of 4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash, will likely compete with White for the starting job. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said the team was excited to add a player with as much speed as Hairston.
“It’s hard to have recovery speed like that,” Beane said, via the team’s official website. “Some guys run fast, they run track fast, but they don’t play fast. I don’t know if I could say 4.26, but you saw 4.3 on film as a player.
“You’re always looking to add speed as long as the football player matches it.”
Beane added that Hairston was one of 10 players that the team had given first-round ratings ahead of the draft.
Hairston comes with a strong college resume, making six interceptions during his three years at Kentucky including three returned for touchdowns. He was rated as one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s NFL draft.
Hairston told reporters after the draft that he models his game after All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, wanting to emulate his aggressive style.
“I love Jalen Ramsey because he played with so much swagger,” Hairston said. “You knew he was that guy. You knew not to try him. And I just want to be able to go out there with that same confidence, knowing that if you come at me, it’s not 50-50, that’s my ball.”
