From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston.
#1 Maxwell Hairston/CB Kentucky – 5112, 186 pounds (Junior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Maxwell Hairston | 5112/186 | 8 7/8 | 31 1/2 | 76 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Pro Day Measurements/Numbers
The Good
– Fluid, plus athlete and easy mover overall
– Quick feet and keeps balance under him, able to effortlessly change directions and transition
– Patient in off-man and doesn’t bite on routes
– Loose, fluid hips, able to turn and run and shows speed to match vertically
– Quickly breaks out of his backpedal, consistently jumped routes and picked off underneath throws
– Reads ball in the area really well, has nose for the ball
– Aggressive and wants to make plays on the football, routinely made splash plays
– Willing tackler, best when able to cut down runners and defeats WR blocks, hit with power post-catch along sideline
– Can match and plaster
– Variety of coverages (zone, jam/sink, press, off-man)
– Experience blitzing off the edge
– Confident with alpha mentality
– Threat post-catch with ton of INT return yardage and multiple scores
– Captain and leader with athletic bloodlines
The Bad
– Slight frame without much muscle, average length
– Lacks play strength and struggles to wrap and finish
– Falls off tackles too easily, especially when trying to punch ball out
– Drag-down tackler in space who struggles to get his guy down
– Want to see quicker trigger against the run, especially in 2024 (partially due to boundary alignment)
– Eyes can get stuck in backfield and loses his man
– Gets grabby when he loses sight on the ball
– Asked to only play boundary side and didn’t have to work in space; would move to safety alignment in trips/3×1 nub to field and will have to adjust at NFL level
– Slender build and 2024 injury lead to questions over durability
Bio
– 32 games, 20 career starts for Wildcats
– Career: 89 tackles (3 TFL), 1 sack, 6 INTs (three pick-sixes) 10 PDs, 3 FF
– 2024: 19 tackles (1 TFL) 1 sack, 4 PDs, missed five games with shoulder injury, attempted to play through it before being shut down
– 68 tackles (55 solo), five INTs in 2023, two returned for scores, career average of 26 yards per INT; first player in school history with pair of pick-sixes in same game
– Team captain in 2024 and senior year of high school
– Six penalties across 2023-2024 (three in one game in 2023)
– Three-star recruit from West Bloomfield, Michigan, chose Kentucky over Kansas, Army/Navy, West Virginia, and ton of mid-major programs (36 total offers)
– Listed at 160 pounds out of HS, played WR and DB while also competing in track; grew up playing basketball
– Didn’t allow catch senior year of high school until regional final (TD against Oklahoma WR Deion Burks)
– Nickname is “Mad Max”
– Cousin of NFL player Taiwan Jones; another cousin played football at Kentucky; third cousin played basketball at Michigan State and in NBA
– Hidden talent is singing and was in high school choir
– High school coach called him “natural leader and high character”
– Missed unknown amount of time in 2021 while away from team due to personal issue
Tape Breakdown
Maxwell Hairston is one of several Michigan natives to make their way down to Kentucky. Hairston started for just two years and missed nearly half of 2024 with a nagging shoulder injury, but he still made an impact. Though not a big guy, he’s athletic with good feet and change-of-direction skills. Fluid hips, can turn and run, and the guy has a nose for the ball. He once said his style is playing “greedy” and it translates to the tape.
His play is littered with aggressive moments on the ball, and you’ll find few corners who can time and jump routes like Hairston. He’s explosive at the top of his pedal and reads well in off-man. He should be easy to spot in these clips but it’s worth noting he wore No. 31 in 2023 and No. 1 in 2024, in case you notice different jersey numbers and wonder if there’s a mistake.
Watch him mid-point these two receivers, find the ball, get his hips around, and finish. Really good stuff.
Hairston also seems like a heck of a leader, a captain in high school and at Kentucky despite being a junior in 2024. Everything I’ve read about him from coaches, teammates, and Hairston’s own words, paint him as supremely confident and embracing being 1v1. It’s the mentality every corner must have to succeed.
There’s want-to as a tackler, don’t call him soft, but he lacks size and strength and too easily falls off. Especially when he’s trying to punch the ball out, unable to wrap and punch in many cases. It’s fair to note his 2024 shoulder injury played a factor but even in tape with him healthy, there were issues.
He can get too aggressive on the ball too, getting eyes stuck in the backfield. Tough showing here with Hairston giving up a touchdown and in the latter clip, losing his man with eyes on the quarterback.
I’m worried about him only being a boundary player at Kentucky. Especially with wide college hashes, he didn’t have to operate in much space and could use the sideline and leverage to his advantage. Even in 3×1 nub sets, Hairston would not flip to the field. Instead, he’d shift to safety.
Going to the NFL and playing in a lot more space will be an adjustment.
Conclusion
Overall, Hairston is a fun, ball-hawking cornerback and easy athlete. There are great traits and makeup for his game. Getting stronger would be ideal but I don’t know how much room there is to grow there. Transitioning to playing in space also creates projection. Still, there’s a lot of positive to bet on here. Hairston can cover and he can make splash plays on the ball, two things every defense looks for. He’s a strong fit for a zone/Cover 3 defense.
My NFL comp is Desmond Trufant.
Projection: Mid-Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 8.3 – Second Round (Future Quality Starter)
Games Watched: vs Florida (2023), vs Missouri (2023), vs South Carolina (2024), vs Georgia (2024), INT cut-up
