Two Cats Selected During The Festivities
Heading into this year’s NFL Draft, the Kentucky Wildcats were expected to have several names picked. In fact, during our draft preview, we highlighted five Wildcats who could have their names called. As it worked out, the weekend was much quieter than what Mark Stoops and the staff expected. In all, two players were chosen, and numerous more signed free agent deals. Let’s break down how the draft went, where the free agents signed, and how they fit in with our 2025 NFL Draft Recap.
Highest Drafted Ever At His Position
We talked extensively about how the Wildcats have become a defensive back university, with six players chosen since 2018. However, with all the players taken, none had ever been picked in the first round. That changed when Maxwell Hairston went to Buffalo with the 30th pick.
Hairston was added to the draft night green room and was there when Commissioner Roger Goodell called his name. Even before his name was called, he developed a cult following during draft night as he was seen congratulating all the other picks chosen before him.
Hairston was a three-star recruit hailing from West Broomfield, Michigan. However, it was his sophomore year when he broke onto the national scene in a big way. He led the SEC with five interceptions, 131 return yards, and two touchdowns. Both of those came in a big win over Vanderbilt. Hampered by injury, Hairston only appeared in seven games in 2024. However, he did return an interception for a touchdown versus Ohio and had 19 tackles.
He wowed scouts at the NFL Combine, blazing a 4.28 40-yard dash, cementing his first-round status.
Hairston’s going into a great situation in Buffalo. The Bills are one of the best teams in the league and a certified Super Bowl contender. In addition, he has the potential to be a starter once the 2025 campaign gets underway. However, they were near the bottom in yards allowed and were terrible on third down, allowing opponents to convert 45 percent of the time.
Moving on with our 2025 Kentucky NFL Draft Recap, let’s look at the other Cat chosen.
Continuing A Trend
Almost every mock draft had several Wildcats taken on days two and three. As it turned out, only one more Cat heard his name called. Defensive lineman Deone Walker was taken in the fourth round with pick 109 also by the Buffalo Bills. He joins Hairston but Ray Davis as well who was taken in the fourth round of last year’s draft.
The Kentucky Bills
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Heading into 2024, Walker was projected by many as a potential first-round pick. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the final season in Lexington he hoped for. We found out after the 2024 campaign that he played with a broken bone in his back. Between that and constant double-teaming, he only had five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He has something to prove, and now health,y the Bills feel they got one of the steals of the draft.
As we finish up our 2025 Kentucky NFL Draft Recap, let’s look at some more Cats who went undrafted but signed with NFL teams.
Looking For A Chance
Two names who were on almost everyone’s radar as day three picks were offensive lineman Eli Cox and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson. However, neither one of them heard their names called during the festivities in Green Bay.
Shortly after the draft concluded, Cox signed a free-agent deal with the Houston Texans. In the process he joins his former offensive line coach Zach Yenser, who’s an assistant for the Texans. Cox started 38 straight games over his last three seasons at Kentucky. He offers a lot of versatility as he played both center and guard with the Wildcats.
Dumas-Johnson inked a free-agent deal with the Packers. After winning back-to-back championships at Georgia, Dumas-Johnson transferred to Kentucky after an injury-plagued 2023 season. Playing in 11 games, he led the Cats with 67 tackles, with seven for a loss. In addition, he added 3.5 sacks, an interception, and a fumble return for a touchdown. Green Bay returns many of their linebackers from a season ago, but Dumas-Johnson has a great shot at making the practice squad.
As of this writing, three other Cats have signed free agent deals. Offensive lineman Marques Cox with the Denver Broncos, defensive back Zion Childress with the Dallas Cowboys, and defensive end Tre’Vonn Rybka with the Miami Dolphins.
With the two picks this year, Stoops has now put 31 players into the pros with four first-round picks. Thanks for checking out our 2025 Kentucky NFL Draft Recap here at Last Word On College Football.
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