Buffalo Bills Photo
Max Hairston had to wait his turn in the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Hairston watched and cheered others on before his name was called late in the opening round. The Buffalo Bills selected Hairston as the 30th overall pick in the first round, leaving Hairston and the Bills elated.
“I can’t believe this is going on right now,” he said. “I’m so thankful, I’m so blessed, I’m so happy to hear my name called. It’s truly a dream come true. I give all thanks to God.”
Buffalo General Manager Brandon Beane said Hairston fits the team’s immediate need on the defensive end of the field.
“You love when the grade matches the value and matches the need too,” Beane said. “You just don’t know how it’s going to fall. And again, that’s why sometimes you make the decision if the grade doesn’t match, maybe you trade back. And so, us staying there told you we believe he fits that value. And why trade back, especially when it’s a position of need.”
Hairston is the first UK defensive back to be chosen in the opening round of the draft in school history and the 19th player chosen in the first round. He’s the fourth first-round selection under head coach Mark Stoops. Hairston is the program’s highest draft pick since Jamin Davis was selected as the 19th overall pick by Washington in 2021.
At the NFL combine last month, Hairston recorded the fastest time in the 40-yard dash with a finish of 4.28 seconds.
“We do feel adding (Hairston) gives us something that we don’t have in that room currently, with the speed that he runs,” said Beane.
Hairston, of West Bloomfield, Mich., was a three-year letter winner and two-year starter for the Wildcats, playing in 32 career games with 20 starting assignments. He totaled 89 career tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, with one sack and added 10 pass breakups, six interceptions and three forced fumbles.
Three of his six interceptions were for touchdowns, which tied the school record – also owned by Dallas Owens (1974-77) – for most career interceptions returned for a score.
2 Responses
Looking forward to watch this guy and Davis on Sundays
I hope Cincinnati drafts Deone Walker. Or even Eli cox it seems like we never get Kentucky players. But congrats to Maxwell hairston before the year started last year nobody would have guessed that he would have been a first round pick all the hype was on Walker and he came through and destroyed it during workouts and earned a first round pick. If he works on his tackling more he will be a elite corner in the NFL.