Nate Hairston was selected in the fifth round of Chris Ballard’s first draft as a general manager after he double-dipped on defensive backs in the first two rounds selecting Malik Hooker and Quincy Wilson.
Hairston was an incredibly raw prospect coming into the draft as he played wide receiver in his first two years at Temple before switching over to the defensive side of the ball before his junior year.
One positive aspect of Hairston’s experience as a wide receiver is that he’s got better ball skills than a lot of cornerbacks coming into the NFL. He broke up five passes this season and picked off his first career pass against the Titans in Week 11.