With the brunt of free agency in the rearview, the NFL world’s collective gaze has shifted to April’s draft. The Minnesota Vikings currently hold a league-low four picks. While they may acquire more, their half-empty war chest is less of an issue than it would be for most teams.
Minnesota’s front office navigated free agency in such a way that they can now approach the draft with an open mind. The Vikings still have roster needs, but none are inhibitive enough to force the team to target a specific position with its first-round pick. Guard, safety, defensive line, and cornerback are all on the table at pick 24.
Kentucky corner Maxwell Hairston could give the team the best bang for its buck with its first selection, especially if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decides to trade down.
Hairston would bring a different element to Minnesota’s secondary: speed. The shiny object in Hairston’s draft profile is undoubtedly his 4.28 40-yard-dash time. At 5’11”, 183 lbs., his frame will raise concern for some teams, but he makes up for it with his athleticism and football IQ. Hairston had an excellent combine in addition to the 40, posting a 39.5” vertical and a 10’9” broad jump. His RAS (relative athletic score) of 9.62 ranked 96th out of 2,509 cornerbacks since 1987.
The three-year Kentucky player played almost exclusively at outside corner once he became a starter as a redshirt sophomore. His skillset at that spot could be ideal for Brian Flores and Minnesota’s defense.
He’s limited in man coverage, partially due to his size, and Hairston’s technique in press coverage also leaves much to be desired. He has the tools to stay in phase but struggles in a phone booth.
Hairston will be most impactful in off-zone coverage in the NFL, particularly for the Vikings. Flores deployed some man-heavy gameplans last season, and Minnesota’s acquisition of Isaiah Rodgers could point toward more of that. However, last year, the Vikings’ defense was one of the most zone-heavy in the league. Even if personnel decisions could open the door for more man coverage, Flores’ fastball will likely remain Cover 2 and quarters with some funky wrinkles.
The outside cornerback responsibilities in these split-safety zone coverages is extremely conducive to Hairston’s skillset and experience. Kentucky played over 70% of its defensive snaps in zone coverage over Hairston’s time with the Wildcats, much of those calls being off zone coverage. In those situations, the fluidity of his hips, recovery speed, and short-area quickness jumped off the screen.
Max Hairston: quick guy. pic.twitter.com/PIJM8Ghd9q
— JohnnyNFL (@JohnBBoyd12) March 27, 2025
Hairston triggers down on quick outs or curls with abandon and has the speed and instinct to capitalize on arrogant throws to his sideline. The suddenness with which he jumps these routes looks like Asante Samuel Sr. circa 2006.
He rarely gets caught flat-footed, and if he does, he has the recovery speed to get back into the play against most receivers. Hairston’s speed shows up when has to carry routes vertically, but more importantly, he’s a strikingly smooth mover. He has great balance and quickness in his backpedal and opens up his hips at just the right time to stay in stride with the receiver.
pic.twitter.com/6fw0kc6Qqs
— JohnnyNFL (@JohnBBoyd12) March 27, 2025
As a tackler, Hairston occasionally stays high, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t seek out contact. He’s a willing tackler, and much like his ability to jump routes and make plays on the ball, his quickness when attacking a bubble screen or swing pass would be an asset to any defense. Against the run, Hairston has sound play discipline as the outermost defender. When the offense’s formation dictates that he align closer to the box, he did his job.
I have seen Hairston ranked as high as 16 and as low as 88 on scouts’ and publications’ big boards, but the consensus seems to put him in the 30-35 range. In Daniel Jeremiah’s most recent mock draft, he had the Green Bay Packers taking Hairston with pick 23, while his colleague Bucky Brooks didn’t have the Kentucky alum in his first-round mock draft at all. Some analysts have him lower on their board because Hairston won’t fit some teams due to his deficiencies in man coverage. That said, he has a skillset that the Vikings, in particular, could prioritize.
Whether it is at pick 24 or following a trade-down, Hairston would be a fine addition to Minnesota’s cornerback room. His elite speed makes him an archetype of player not present on the roster. His instincts are just as big an asset as his athleticism, and Brian Flores finds ways to use players with great instincts.