Maxwell Hairston CB Kentucky | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Maxwell Hairston CB Kentucky
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Outside Zone CB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 02/27/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.28 seconds (99%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |
| Last Updated: 02/27/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.28 seconds (99%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 84.6 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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80% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 71.7 | |
| Tackling: |
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65% |
| Run Defense: |
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66% |
| Coverage: |
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81% |
| Zone: |
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75% |
| Man/Press: |
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80% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
3rd
Overall Rank:
#73
Position rank:
#12
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| College Games: 23 College Snaps: 1059 | ||
ESPN RATING: 74/100
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247 RATING: 86/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.6 (92%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Max Melton - Rutgers |
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86% |
| Nehemiah Pritchett - Auburn |
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85% |
| Jakorian Bennett - Maryland |
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81% |
Draft Profile: Bio
A former three-star recruit out of West Bloomfield, Michigan, Maxwell Hairston's path to becoming one of the SEC's most dangerous ballhawks is a testament to his development at Kentucky. After redshirting in 2021 and playing sparingly in 2022, Hairston exploded onto the scene in 2023, turning heads with his uncanny ability to find the football and take it the other way. His five interceptions, including two pick-sixes against Vanderbilt, put the college football world on notice and earned him Second-Team All-SEC honors.The 5'11", 179-pound corner continued his disruptive ways in 2024, though a shoulder injury limited him to just seven games. Even in abbreviated action, Hairston's impact was felt immediately - he recorded another pick-six against Ohio and earned Second-Team All-SEC recognition for the second straight year. His three career pick-sixes tied a Kentucky school record, cementing his reputation as one of college football's most opportunistic defenders.
Beyond the football field, Hairston comes from an athletic lineage that includes former NFL linebacker Taiwan Jones and a cousin who played professional basketball. A well-rounded student-athlete at Kentucky, he maintained his spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll while majoring in community leadership and development.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Possesses an elite feel for zone coverage, showing outstanding spatial awareness and ability to process multiple route combinations simultaneously while keeping his eyes on the quarterback
- Demonstrates exceptional closing burst to the football - when he sees it, he gets it, showing the kind of trigger that makes quarterbacks pay for telegraphing throws
- Changes direction with remarkable fluidity in his pedal, showing the kind of loose hips that let him mirror receivers through their breaks without losing ground
- Shows advanced route recognition skills from off coverage, rarely biting on double moves and maintaining proper leverage against vertical stems
- Brings attitude to the contact window despite his lean frame, showing a nasty streak when competing for 50/50 balls at the catch point
- Displays elite ball skills when in position - tracks the football naturally and shows soft hands to secure interceptions rather than just breaking up passes
- Processes information quickly in zone coverage, showing advanced understanding of how to expand and compress his zones based on route distributions
- Brings infectious energy to the secondary, playing with the kind of swagger that elevates the entire defensive backfield's competitive level
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lean frame raises concerns about durability at the next level - shoulder injury that cost him five games in 2024 will require thorough medical evaluation
- Shows concerning tendency to open his hips too early in press coverage, particularly against quick-breaking routes to the inside
- Lacks ideal play strength to consistently reroute bigger receivers at the line of scrimmage, sometimes getting overwhelmed by physical blockers in the run game
- Will occasionally get too aggressive jumping routes in zone, leaving himself vulnerable to double moves when quarterbacks can manipulate his eyes
- Tackling technique needs refinement - too often goes low and fails to wrap up, leading to missed tackles in space that could be costly at the next level
Scouting Report: Summary
I see Hairston as a day two cornerback who could become a valuable starter in the right system. His instincts in zone coverage are special - the way he baits quarterbacks and drives on the football. He's at his best playing off coverage where he can read flow and attack, particularly in quarters or Cover 3 schemes that let him keep his eyes on the quarterback.The thing that jumps off the tape with Hairston is his natural feel for finding the football. He's got that rare knack for making plays that can't be taught. Watch that Vanderbilt game - the way he jumped those routes wasn't just good film study, it was pure instinct. Sure, his slight frame is going to give some teams pause, especially against the grown men he'll face on Sundays. But his competitiveness at the catch point and ability to match-and-mirror in space will translate immediately to sub-package duties.
Hairston is a scheme-specific playmaker who needs to be deployed strategically early in his career. Give him two years in an NFL strength program while letting him cut his teeth in nickel and dime packages, and you're looking at a potential long-term starter who can change games with his ball skills. Just don't ask him to play press-man against Mike Evans in week one, and you'll be happy with what you get.
Written By:
Wyatt Brooks (SEC)
Maxwell Hairston percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Maxwell Hairston (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
50.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
12.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.