The Best Buffalo Bills’ Cornerback Target For Each Day Of The Draft
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
With Christian Benford‘s extension officially done and the NFL Draft less than a month away, the Buffalo Bills’ attention has turned to who they will select with each of their ten draft picks. The Bills’ team is pretty complete, and most of the draft is for tweaking, but despite yesterday’s major extension, the secondary still needs help
On top of retaining Benford, the Bills didn’t ignore it during free agency, but work still needs to be done. The Bills re-signed Damar Hamlin and brought back a familiar face, Dane Jackson, but those moves weren’t enough. With so many draft picks, it would be shocking if the Bills didn’t take at least one secondary member, and even two or three can’t be ruled out. Let’s look at one secondary member that could be taken each day to help take the defense to the next level.
Day 1 – Shavon Revel
Shavon Revel could be gone by pick 30, but the good news for the Bills is that they have so many draft picks that they can spare a few to get the player that they want.
Revel is one of the most talented players in the draft, and 15 years down the road, he could end up being a generational cornerback. Revel is also one of the most physical players in the entire draft, and if it wasn’t for a torn ACL during practice back in September, he might be talked about as a top-ten pick. Not only is he physical, but he is also a speed demon, running a 4.40 40-yard dash.
As long as the medicals are fine, this guy can play the first week of the 2025 season for the Bills. The only real concern with him is the injury issues. Don’t be scared off by the fact that he played at East Carolina; he would have been a star at some place like Alabama or Georgia.
Day 2 – Maxwell Harriston
The Bills have two draft picks on the second day, starting with pick 56, so players like Jahdae Barron and Trey Amos will probably be off the board, but there is still a great option in Maxwell Hairston. He was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and didn’t play much his first couple of years. Once he got more playing time, he showed his skills, and they fit perfectly with the Bills’ defense.
The Bills’ zone first coverage is a perfect fit for Harriston’s skill set as he time and time again has shown his ability to cover multiple routes while still keeping his eyes on the quarterback’s eyes to anticipate where the ball is going. One area that is a big concern is against the run game, but his skills fit so well into the Bills’ defense that it is hard to ignore.
You just watched Maxwell Hairston run a BLISTERING 4.29u 40… here’s a little more info on him:
➖ Just 20 career starts
➖ 72.7 passer rating allowed
➖ 6 INTs
➖ 8 PBUs
➖ Missed just 8% of his tackles in 2023He also posted a 39.5” vertical… 👀 pic.twitter.com/BJLViFzN23
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 28, 2025
Day 3 – Nohl Williams
If Nohl Williams is on the board at 132, or even if the Bucs have to trade a couple of those 10 draft picks to move up a couple of spots, the Bills need to make him a key target on Day 3. There was an old saying that went something along the lines of cornerbacks are just wide receivers that can’t catch. We all know that saying isn’t quite accurate, but sometimes, cornerbacks’ hands aren’t that great. The same can’t be said about Williams, who sometimes looks like a wide receiver with how he plays. The former California Golden Bears standout has elite ball skills and is an above-average tackler. Kyle Crabbs of the 33rd Team gave the following scouting report:
“He has the inherent quality of being at the right place at the right time with quarterback overthrows and has made opponents pay when these instances arise. He also undercuts throws with good coverage and showcased an ability to flip his eyes back to the quarterback downfield on the stem before running down footballs. His background as a two-way player is apparent when he has to flip his eyes back and find the ball. This isn’t an explosive athlete who wins with elite reactive suddenness or long speed, nor does he win with elite length. However, he should be considered viable for such opportunities at the NFL level. He boasts sufficient levels of all the traits and has the instincts and IQ to maximize what he’s been blessed with.”
The 30 ¾” arm length could scare some teams off, but the ball skills are there, and the Bills should see this as an opportunity to get someone with first—or second-round talent on the third day. He also was a special teams standout during college, and especially when you consider that he made an impact on Day 1 for the Bills, that’s a place he could instantly improve the team.
Earlier this offseason Brandon Beane laid out exactly what type of cornerbacks they could be targeting in the draft.
“We’ll evaluate what they do well,” Beane said. “And our defense, one of the things is you’ve got to tackle, you’ve got to be physical. And not every defense accentuates that. You still have to cover, and we do want to turn the ball over.
If it’s Revel, Harriston, Williams, or someone else, the good news is that this is a deep secondary draft and the Bills have the firepower to get one, two, or maybe three of these guys. Who they get(or miss out on) could be the difference in this team winning the Super Bowl or getting knocked out by the Kansas City Chiefs again.
Up Next