NFL Draft Combine Review: How Kentucky players performed in Indianapolis

The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine flew by in Indianapolis. We did not get to see Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward throw at Lucas Oil Stadium but much was learned about numerous prospects in town for the biggest convention in professional football.

We saw four Kentucky players participate in the pre-draft event. One might have secured spot in the first round while another may have gone from undrafted free agent to Day 3 pick. We’re recapping on the week went for each UK product in Peyton Manning’s town as focus now shifts to pro day and visits to team facilities.

Let’s dive in.

Maxwell Hairston just moved into official first-round territory

There was a ton of buzz for Maxwell Hairston following the Senior Bowl. In a draft where cornerback didn’t have a clear next top tier following Will Johnson, Travis Hunter, and Jahdae Barron, there was an opportunity for someone to go from second-round to first-round territory during the pre-draft process.

Hairston took advantage of that opportunity by posting superb testing numbers at the event.

Maxwell Hairston ran a blazing 4.29u on his second run!

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/yhkcVOInOs

— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2025

Maxwell Hairston is a CB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.68 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 81 out of 2480 CB from 1987 to 2025.

Splits projected, times unofficial.https://t.co/BJbb99i2iy pic.twitter.com/bsQ2msQYwr

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 28, 2025

Hairston clocked the fastest time at the combine with a sub-4.3 time in the forty-yard dash. The Kentucky cornerback also spot great jump scores in the vertical and broad. Hairston is not the biggest cornerback but 31-inch arms give the prospect some solid length.

The Kentucky cornerback was one of the big winners of the event. Similar to Jamin Davis in the 2020 NFL Draft, strong athleticism scores should push Hairston into the first round. The cornerback could become the first UK defensive back to become a first-round pick.

Deone Walker will run at Kentucky’s pro day

Deone Walker entered the NFL Scouting Combine with much to prove after going through the Senior Bowl and seeing his stock drop. However, the three-and-done at Kentucky decided not to test in Indianapolis.

Walker did not do any speed or agility testing in Indianapolis. The defensive tackles jump scores in the vertical (25″) and broad (8’8″) were suboptimal for the position. Walker did participate in on-field drills.

Focus now shifts to Kentucky’s pro day on March 11. Walker could use a strong performance. There feels like a solid chance that the former four-star recruit out of Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech could slip into Day 3 range thanks to what has been a not great pre-draft process and a loaded draft class at defensive tackle.

Eli Cox helps himself in Indianapolis

Another Kentucky player improved his draft stock with strong testing numbers at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. Eli Cox will leave Indianapolis as one of the top athletes at the interior offensive line position in this draft class.

Eli Cox is a OC prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.97 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 3 out of 622 OC from 1987 to 2025.

Splits projected, times unofficial.https://t.co/sB9cJuLYsX pic.twitter.com/8yWhQS0uL0

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 2, 2025

The four-year starter at Kentucky did not complete any agility testing, but did post strong numbers in the forty-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump. Cox checked in at 6-foot-4 and 306 pounds and brings some positional versatility to the table after playing both guard and center in Lexington. During his time in Lexington, the former three-star recruit played nearly 3,000 offensive snaps over 56 career games.

Cox didn’t move into the first round like Hairston but might have gone from undrafted free agent to Day 3 pick. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had the Kentucky center as one of his top risers.

“Cox was my No. 10 center at this time last week. When I update my Big Board this week, he might be in the C6 or C7 range,” Kiper wrote. “And he might have put himself in the fifth-round mix.”

The Kentucky offensive lineman had a big week in Inday.

Jamon Dumas-Johnson does not test

Unlike the rest of the Kentucky participants in Indianapolis, linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson did not test at the NFL Scouting Combine. That makes the pro day next week much more important for the former All-American at Georgia.

After playing in the Shrine Bowl, Dumas-Johnson enters the combine as a Day 3 pick. He is likely still seen as that. Athletic testing should not change that too much but the pro day will be the last opportunity for the three-year starter in the SEC to show scouts what he can do.