Draft Buzz: Maxwell Hairston is showing up in numerous first-round projections

Draft season is quickly inching closer. In just about a month, Green Bay will host the biggest non-game event on the sports calendar over three days in April. Kentucky will have a handful of players come off the board.

All signs continue to point to Maxwell Hairston becoming the first cornerback in program history to become a first-round draft pick. Top-end draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Daniel Jeremiah each have the former three-star recruit out of Greater Detroit coming off the board in the first round.

Kiper

29.) Washington Commanders: “Hairston also was my projected pick for the Commanders before the combine. It makes sense. Washington is in win-now mode, and cornerback remains a question mark even after the team traded for Marshon Lattimore at the deadline last year.”

Jeremiah

23.) Green Bay Packers: “It’s not clear if Jaire Alexander has a future in Green Bay, so the Packers turn to the highly dynamic Hairston at cornerback.”

The buzz continues for Maxwell Hairston.

Octavious Oxendine had positive performance at Kentucky’s pro day

Radcliff (Ky.) North Hardin product Octavious Oxendine spent five seasons at Kentucky playing in 47 games (1,340 defensive snaps) with 19 starts. The former three-star recruit ended his collegiate career with 78 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and 52 pressures.

This is an experienced defensive lineman who is trying to catch the eye of scouts after not being invited to any pre-draft showcase game. Oxendine’s peformance at Kentucky’s pro day should get him a more extensive look.

The three-technique defensive tackle recorded great scores in the broad jump (9’5″) and forty-yard dash (4.89). Both of those rank in the 90th percentile for defensive lineman. There will be some size and strength concerns for Oxendine in the evaluation process, but this is a prospect with some legit athleticism plus some pass rush production put on tape.

Getting into the backend of the sixth or seventh-round could be difficult, but a strong pro day performance may have given Oxendine a chance to become a very high priority undrafted free agent in this draft class.

Eli Cox on with Kay Adams

Kentucky starting center Eli Cox was a massive winner at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The sixth-year senior may have gone from undrafted free agent to early Day 3 pick in rounds four or five after posting some elite athletic testing.

We are now seeing the Nicholasville (Ky.) West Jessamine product blow up.

Cox joined Kay Adams on “Up and Adams” on Tuesday to discuss his time at Kentucky, the big performance in Indy, and Liam Coen. Adams even joked with Cox that he could be a perfect fit for the Jacksonville Jaguars who now need a new starting center following the retirement of Mitch Morse. There was even some NCAA Tournament discussion.

The Kentucky product believes the performance in the pre-draft process will help show teams that he can bring flexibility to an NFL organization.

“I think it was a good opportunity to show teams my athleticism. That’s really what it’s about. You go back and watch my film from Kentucky, we were a heavy inside run team, heavy counter type of team, we ran a lot of duo, inside zone. So being able to show teams that I have that stuff on tape, I can do that on film, but also showcase the athleticism,” Cox explained. “That I can be a center that fits in a wide zone scheme.”

Cox’s draft buzz continues to grow.

Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty look like big winners heading into the draft

There has been much speculation about what the Tennessee Titans will do with the No. 1 overall pick. Could the AFC South franchise try to trade back? Would they take the best player available? Would they go quarterback.

Currently all signs point to Cam Ward becoming the top pick in the draft. If it’s not the Titans, than the New York Giants or Cleveland Browns could trade up to draft the former Incarnate Word quarterback. Ward has been a big winner throughout this pre-draft process.

So has Ashton Jeanty.

Many mock draft analysts are now calling for the Boise State All-American to go to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 overall. The Chicago Bears are also a popular potential destination at No. 10 overall after general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson addressed the offensive line in a big way during free agency. Saquon Barkley’s big year helped the running back market. Jeanty appears ready to cash in.

Ward and Jeanty were two of the best players in college football last season. Each won’t last long when the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft begins.