Where Kentucky Players Fall in Final NFL Mock Drafts

The NFL Draft is here. Over the next three days, players will have their lifelong dream come true when they hear their name on the stage in Green Bay. Four Kentucky Wildcats are hoping to be among the 257 picks in this year’s event. Before the action begins Thursday night, we’re rounding up the final mock drafts to see where the Wildcats may be playing on Sundays.

NFL Draft on TV
Thursday: Round 1, 8 p.m. ET
Friday: Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday: Rounds 4-7, 12 p.m. ET

You can watch coverage on NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes. Watch the action on Thursday night with the 11 Personnel crew on the KSR YouTube Channel.

Daniel Jeremiah: Hairston gets Welcome Reception

When it’s the host city’s turn to make a pick, you can feel it in the atmosphere at the NFL Draft. Green Bay will be rocking for pick No. 23 and the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, my personal favorite in the biz, believes the Packers will be selecting Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston.

“The Packers love SEC defensive players, and Hairston can really run,” writes Jeremiah. “He battled through injury in 2024, but his 2023 tape is exceptional. With Jaire Alexander potentially on the move, Green Bay adds help at cornerback.”

Field Yates

As you will see throughout this post, Buffalo is a popular potential landing spot for Hairston in the first round. Field Yates is making the final mock draft for ESPN and has the former Cat teaming up with Ray Davis in Buffalo with pick No. 30.

“Buffalo is searching for another cornerback opposite Christian Benford, and Hairston is sticky in coverage with 4.28 speed and good ball skills. Buffalo is a zone-heavy team, which fits Hairston’s skill set and what he saw in college.”

Peter Schrager

The former Good Morning Football host recently moved from the NFL Network to ESPN. He’s predicting a late night for Kentucky football fans, with Hairston selected as the final pick of the first round to the Philadelphia Eagles.

“The Eagles took cornerbacks with their first- and second-round picks a year ago, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t add to the defensive backfield considering the turnover this offseason,” writes Schrager. “Hairston is a speedster — he ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the combine — who is just scratching the surface of his talent.”

Three Wildcats in a 7-Round ESPN Mock Draft

Jordan Reid was asked to do the heavy lifting for ESPN and complete a seven-round mock draft. He is projecting three Kentucky Wildcats in the draft, with Jamon Dumas-Johnson slipping off the board.

Max Hairston: Second Round, No. 37 overall to the Raiders
Deone Walker: Third Round, No. 98 to the Dolphins
Eli Cox: Seventh Round, No. 218 to the Falcons

The Highest You’ll Find Hairston

I expected most mock drafts to have Hairston in the mid 20s to the end of the first round. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco doesn’t think we’ll have to wait as long. He has Hairston going No. 19 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Hairston in More NFL Mock Drafts

Dane Brugler, The Athletic: No. 29, Washington Commanders
Charles Davis, NFL Network: No 30, Buffalo Bills
Bucky Brooks, NFL Network: No. 23, Green Bay Packers
Matt Miller, ESPN: No. 26, Los Angeles Rams