A new mock draft from Field Yates of ESPN (subscription required) gave Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston to the Green Bay Packers at No. 23 overall in the first round of the 2025 draft.
Yates believes a cornerback upgrade could allow the Packers and Jeff Hafley to play more man coverage in 2025 and beyond, and he called Hairston a “playmaking ball magnet” who could “fly” during the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Hairston played in 32 games with 20 starts at Kentucky. He broke up 10 passes, intercepted six more passes, forced three fumbles and had 2.5 tackles for loss. A two-time All-SEC pick (2023, 2024), Hairston produced three career pick-sixes. He missed five games with a shoulder injury in 2024.
Size is almost certainly going to be a limiting factor for the Packers. Hairston competed at the Senior Bowl — an important event for decision-makers in Green Bay — but measured only 5-11 and 179 pounds in Mobile. His arms are only 31 1/2″ long, so it’s possible the Packers won’t see him as a viable cornerback prospect on their board given his weight and lack of length.
Not everyone agrees Hairston is a first-round prospect, either.
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Media currently ranks Hairston as his No. 44 overall prospect at this point in the pre-draft process. Here is Jeremiah’s scouting report:
Hairston is a lean, athletic cornerback with ideal play speed and fluidity. In press coverage, he incorporates a one-hand jam before turning and carrying vertical routes. He has plenty of burst/speed. In off coverage, he likes to settle and catch receivers at the break point. He’ll need to play cleaner with his hands down the field at the next level. In Kentucky’s defense, he rolled back to play in the middle of the field versus certain formations/motions, but he was late to diagnose and react from that alignment. He’s willing in run support and is a dynamic blitzer. He was limited to seven games this past season due to injury. He had a very productive 2023 season (five interceptions) but wasn’t targeted much in the games I studied from this past year. Overall, Hairston offers an enticing blend of movement skills and production.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic isn’t quite as high on Hairston, his No. 54 overall prospect. His scouting report:
Hairston moves fairly effortlessly in all areas of the field, and he plays to his help in man-to-man coverage while showing conviction and awareness in Cover 3. He is a natural making plays at the catch point, but he’s also more scrappy than strong, which will show up against physical NFL receivers and in run support.
What does Packers Wire draft analyst Brennen Rupp think about Hairston at No. 23?
“Maxwell Hairston is a feisty cornerback who recorded six interceptions and 10 pass deflections over the past two seasons. Hairston only played in seven games this past season as he battled through a shoulder injury. He has a loose lower half and is scrappy in run support,” Rupp wrote. “Taking Hairston is at 23 is a little too rich for my blood and Packers fans may not like taking a cornerback with a history of shoulder injuries. He weighed in at the Senior Bowl at 179 pounds. That may be too light for Green Bay’s liking. It will be worth monitoring what he weighs in at combine. Yates has the Minnesota Vikings taking Oregon’s defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the next pick. I think it’s far more likely Brian Gutekunst invests in the trenches in the first round.”
