During his 12 years at Kentucky, Mark Stoops has seen 29 players drafted into the NFL. In addition, he’s had three first-round picks. One position, in particular, the secondary, has been on quite a roll for the last few years. On Thursday night, a new defensive back added his name to both lists. Let’s tell you all about him and tell you how he fits in as Buffalo Selects Maxwell Hairston 30th.
Right Where He Was Projected
In our NFL Draft Preview we discussed the fact several teams were interested in Hairston. However one team kept coming up the most in the mock drafts. That team was the Buffalo Bills. When their pick came up Thursday night, they got the player they wanted.
Round 1, pick 30 the @BuffaloBills select @MHairston22.
#NFLDraft2025 on @ABC pic.twitter.com/ZJ1z326roG
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) April 25, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Leading up to the draft, cornerback was a position of need for the Bills. The team has Christian Benford at one spot, but the CB2 position is up for grabs. Buffalo lost Rasul Douglas and Kaiir Elam from last year. They do have Tre’Davious White on the squad but the possibility exists Hairston could be a starter from day one.
Furthermore, landing in Buffalo, he’ll be reunited with former Cat Ray Davis. He of course was a fourth-round pick last year and had a huge rookie season for the Bills.
Even before he was selected Hairston got a lot of attention as he was shown hugging and congratulating everyone in the green room who was selected before him. Again it shows what kind of person the Bills are getting.
Let’s take a moment and talk about how the former Wildcat got to this point as Buffalo Selects Maxwell Hairston 30th.
Path To The Draft
If you haven’t been paying close attention, the Kentucky football program has become a “DBU” over the last few years. Since 2018, six Wildcats have gone to the league, many of whom are still playing. However, Hairston is the first-ever first-round defensive back pick for Kentucky.
Hailing from West Bloomfield, Michigan, Hairston was a three-star recruit coming out of high school. After redshirting his first year, Hairston played in 12 games in 2o22.
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. NFL analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has been one of his biggest supporters and he was added to the list of attendees for Thursday night. That’s a good sign you are going in the first round, and that’s what happened.
Final Thoughts
The former Wildcat couldn’t have asked for a better landing spot. Buffalo is 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. Thanks for checking out our recap as Buffalo Selects Maxwell Hairston 30th here at Last Word On College Football. He’s not the only one expected to hear his name called over the weekend. Stay with us for NFL Draft updates as they happen.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The post Buffalo Selects Maxwell Hairston 30th appeared first on Last Word on College Football.