Two Bills Drive

‘The strategy at cornerback is clearly to bring in as many candidates as possible and may the best man win. Now, Strong won’t have much of a chance staring up at first-round pick Max Hairston and veteran free agents Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson, but his goal should be to at least get on the practice squad and spend the season there, then compete for a roster spot in 2026 when White and Jackson will probably be gone.’

‘And he liked Hairston the best, even though there were other intriguing options including Mississippi’s Trey Amos, a player who was projected in the same range as Hairston as a late first-rounder, but also, Will Johnson of Michigan whose injury struggles sent him tumbling from a top 15 pick right out of the first round.’

‘Hairston was a second-round projection at the start of the draft process, primarily because he missed five games with a shoulder injury in just his second season a starter. But then he showed up at the combine and ran the fastest 40 time (4.28 seconds) and his 39.5-inch vertical leap was second-best among cornerbacks and tied for 12th among all players.’

‘As you look at the depth chart, defensive tackle is the clear priority. With DaQuan Jones in the final year of his contract, and free agent signee Larry Ogunjobi suspended for the first six games of the season, the Bills have a hole in the middle of their line.’

‘While the Bills have had a checkered past in the first round of the NFL Draft, they have very often struck gold in the second round. Here is a sampling.’