Buffalo Bills sign 1st-round pick Maxwell Hairston

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - The Buffalo Bills have signed their first-round draft pick, cornerback Maxwell Hairston, to his rookie contract.

Buffalo addressed a key need in its secondary when it selected the 21-year-old Hairston with the No. 30 pick out of Kentucky in April. The 5-foot-11 player is noted for his speed, and he tied a school record by returning three interceptions for touchdowns over his three-year career.

From Michigan, Hairston is being given an opportunity to compete for the starting job opposite Christian Benford.

Friday’s signing comes a day after the Bills completed their three-day mandatory minicamp, with the team now on break before opening training camp next month.

Hairston missed the final practice after hurting his left hamstring on Wednesday. General manager Brandon Beane described the injury as "a little tweak," and expects the player to be ready for the start of camp.

Buffalo also signed its fourth-round pick, defensive tackle Deone Walker. The team has eight of its nine draft selections under contract, with the exception being its second-round pick, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders.