The dust has settled on the NFL Draft, but we only see what happens under the bright lights on the big stage. Thankfully, the folks at the Buffalo Bills had the cameras rolling to give us an inside look at their process before they selected former Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston with the 30th overall pick.
Let me be candid, usually these behind-the-scenes videos don’t do it for me. This one freaking rocks.
We’ve seen the one-minute clips where the player answers the call from the front office, letting them know they have been taken in the NFL Draft. This 30-minute feature includes that, but what’s more enlightening is what happens long before Draft day.
Hairston wowed with his 4.28 speed at the NFL Combine. Typically, the drills aren’t the most important thing that happens in Indy, it’s the formal meetings with teams. Hairston’s first formal interview was with the Bills. He admitted he was a little nervous, but the stars aligned immediately, making it clear they were the perfect match.
At one point, they’re showing him tape from one of his Pick Sixes. The Bills were more focused on his teammates’ reaction. They wanted to know if he’s a me-first or a team-first player. “I want everybody to eat,” was his response.
That was a wise choice of words. “Everybody eats” is the mantra of the Bills’ offense. They put it on hats and t-shirts. It felt like a sign. Then, something funny happened.
The Bills asked him what his ideal weight was. He was lighter than expected and they wanted to know why. “I want to run a 4.2,” Hairston said. The whole room laughed. “If you run a 4.2, we can’t get you.” Fortunately, the chips fell the way they need to send Hairston to Buffalo.
That is one of many eye-opening moments from the pre-Draft process. The Bills were a little nervous that Washington would take their guy at No. 29. When they picked someone else, they wasted no time.
“I feel like we gotta get this guy,” said head coach Sean McDermott.
It’s an outstanding 30-minute feature, with the first half exclusively dedicated to the former Kentucky Wildcat. Hopefully, it’s the first of many we will see once Hairston starts making plays on Sundays.
The post Go Behind the Scenes when the Buffalo Bills Drafted Maxwell Hairston appeared first on On3.