What a night it was in Green Bay, a town of 105K hosting a ridiculous 205K fans on night one of the 2025 NFL Draft. Like most years, there was chaos, starting with Roger Goodell and Lil Wayne riding out on bicycles to open the event, followed by Liam Coen trading up to take a generational two-way athlete up top and the most polarizing pick in the draft falling out of the first round entirely — the New York Giants passed on Shedeur Sanders not once, but twice, only to trade up and take the guy Mark Stoops had seeing ghosts last season in Oxford.
Oh, and Maxwell Hairston heard his name called and got to walk across the stage and shake the commissioner’s hand on night one. That was pretty darn cool, the former Wildcat set to join Ray Davis in Buffalo as a Bill. He was one of the stars of the show in Green Bay, the ultimate hype man for every single pick as they made their way through the green room and out to the stage. After supporting his peers all night, the Bills returned the favor by selecting him No. 30 overall, sending the Kentucky star to a Super Bowl contender.
“I can’t believe this is going on right now. I’m so thankful, I’m so blessed, I’m so happy to hear my name called,” Hairston said. “It’s truly a dream come true. I give all thanks to God.”
The moment his NFL dreams became a reality:
Round 1, pick 30 the @BuffaloBills select @MHairston22.
#NFLDraft2025 on @ABC pic.twitter.com/ZJ1z326roG
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) April 25, 2025
“LET’S GET TO WORK BUFFALO!”
The @BuffaloBills landed a gem in CB Maxwell Hairston
@JamieErdahl
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aNsKfkbWlY
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 25, 2025
The Bills got a good one — with several other Wildcats up for grabs over the next 48 hours as days two and three of the NFL Draft continue on Friday and Saturday.
Until then, check out all 32 picks from Thursday.
2025 NFL Draft Selections (1st Round)
- 1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
- 2. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Cleveland Browns): Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado
- 3. New York Giants: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
- 4. New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
- 5. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars): Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
- 6. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
- 7. New York Jets: Armand Membou, OT, Mizzou
- 8. Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
- 9. New Orleans Saints: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
- 10. Chicago Bears: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
- 11. San Francisco 49ers: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
- 12. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama
- 13. Miami Dolphins: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
- 14. Indianapolis Colts: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
- 15. Atlanta Falcons: Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
- 16. Arizona Cardinals: Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi
- 17. Cincinnati Bengals: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
- 18. Seattle Seahawks: Grey Zabel, G, North Dakota State
- 19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
- 20. Denver Broncos: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
- 21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
- 22. Los Angeles Chargers: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
- 23. Green Bay Packers: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
- 24. Minnesota Vikings: Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State
- 25. New York Giants (via Houston Texans): Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
- 26. Atlanta Falcons (via Los Angeles Rams): James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
- 27. Baltimore Ravens: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
- 28. Detroit Lions: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
- 29. Washington Commanders: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
- 30. Buffalo Bills: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
- 31. Philadelphia Eagles (via Kansas City Chiefs): Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
- 32. Kansas City Chiefs (via Philadelphia Eagles): Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
Is Big Deone next?
Hairston was expected to be the first Wildcat taken in 2025, potentially as high as the first round and as low as the second. The former hit on Thursday. Elsewhere, Deone Walker is the next name to keep an eye on as we transition into dart-throw territory where big boards are all over the place.
As things stand currently, ESPN has Walker listed at No. 93 overall and No. 9 at his position among best remaining players available, putting him toward the end of round four on Saturday. ESPN’s Jordan Reid originally had the standout defensive tackle coming off the board in the third round at No. 98 overall to the Miami Dolphins in his final seven-round mock draft released earlier in the week. CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso expects the former Wildcat to hear his name called at No. 90 overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round.
Playing the odds, you should expect to see Walker selected late on day two or early on day three — but his time is undoubtedly coming. From there, offensive lineman Eli Cox and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson are both likely day three picks. Marques Cox, Zion Childress, D’Eryk Jackson, Gerald Mincey, Octavious Oxendine, Alex Raynor, Tre’Vonn Rybka, Kristian Story, Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and J.J. Weaver are all draft-eligible, too, but are expected to get shots as UDFAs with minicamp invites.
Rounds 2-3 will take place on Friday starting at 7 p.m. ET, followed by rounds 4-7 at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday to wrap things up in Green Bay.
UK announces Champions Blue — a new model to generate revenue amid $50M athletics budget increase
As college sports transition from an amateurism model to something that aligns more closely with a professional model, UK Athletics is thinking one step ahead to combat an anticipated $50 million jump in the budget — partially due to revenue sharing. Mitch Barnhart and Eli Capilouto announced Champions Blue, LLC on Thursday, shifting UK Athletics to a limited liability or holding company to generate additional revenue and more efficiently manage expenses.
In short, everything under the UK Athletics umbrella will now be a business unlocking new revenue streams through public-private partnerships and potentially other transactions, such as real estate. It’s a similar approach to how UK acquired community hospitals in Ashland and Morehead, holding companies which report to the University and its Board of Trustees.
“Our mission remains the same: to put championship rings on fingers and diplomas in hands,” Barnhart said.
The UK Board of Trustees will meet Friday to potentially approve the historic change in Lexington as we wait for clarity on the House v. NCAA settlement.
Why was Nate Oats in Lexington?
Enough of the serious stuff, let’s get to the real questions: Why was Alabama’s head coach in Lexington on Thursday?
KSR’s Matt Jones shared a cryptic message on social media, leaving the mystery for Big Blue Nation to solve. We know it’s not for anything coaching related — although I’m sure Mark Pope could find a spot on the bench for him somewhere. Maybe as a GA, perhaps?
Or does the SEC foe have his eyes on Lyon County’s own Travis Perry, who entered the transfer portal earlier in the week? We know teams such as Ole Miss, Arkansas, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia and Maryland have reached out, among high-majors. Does Oats have interest in the state’s all-time leading scorer out of high school?
Get to the bottom of it, BBN.
Until then, enjoy your Friday and happy weekend!
The post KSR Today: Mad Max is a Bill! (And other NFL Draft chaos) appeared first on On3.