Maxwell Hairston Left the NFL Combine with Palpable Buzz

No, that’s not a bee you’re hearing. That’s the sound of the buzz following former Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston after an impressive performance in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Before the event, Hairston was seen by many as a fringe first-round prospect. A good performance could put him into consideration as a day one pick, something that has never happened for a former Kentucky defensive back. It doesn’t sound like he’s still on the fringe.

As you know by now, Hairston was the fastest player at the NFL Combine, clocking a 4.28 40-yard dash. He proved that wasn’t an athletic anomaly in the other tests and performed well in the field drills. In the after math of the event, Hairston has appeared in many publications as one of the biggest winners from the Combine.

NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein described Hairston as “the buzziest cornerback” from the event, and vaulted him to No. 27 overall in his recent mock draft. Mel Kiper was high on Hairston prior to the Combine. The ESPN NFL Draft guru is now willing to move Hairston up six spots to No. 23 overall.

“Hairston ran a scorching 4.28-second 40-yard dash. That was the fastest time from any player, regardless of position, at this combine,” writes Kiper. “Hairston didn’t stop there, either. He jumped 39½ inches in the vertical and 10 feet, 9 inches in the broad — both top-three results at cornerback. We saw that speed and suddenness on the tape — along with really strong recognition skills — which allowed him to pick off five passes in 2023 before a shoulder injury slowed him in 2024.”

Nick Baumgardner from The Athletic is on the same page. Hairston made himself some money in Indy. “An explosive and fast defender, Hairston also topped 18 miles per hour during the Teryl Austin drill, showing plus agility,” Baumgardner wrote. “Another guy who always found himself around the ball in college, Hairston had five picks and seven forced incompletions last season while allowing fewer than 10 yards per reception.”

You’ll find a similar refrain over at CBS Sports. Hairston promised to deliver an eye-opening performance in Indy and he did just that.

“Most impressive, however, was the on-field work. His breaks out of the top of his drop were decisive and the angles were sharp. Add all of that together with six interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns, over the past two seasons and Hairston leaves no box unchecked,” writes Josh Edwards.  

Hairston will be back in Lexington for next week’s UK Pro Day. He won’t need to work out for the teams at the event. After all, he has already checked every box.