They’ll join Ray Davis turning Buffalo into Lexington North.
Two former Kentucky Wildcats are officially members of the National Football League. Deone Walker and Maxwell Hairston both signed rookie deals with the Buffalo Bills on Friday.
The signings marked a bittersweet moment for Kentucky fans. It’s beautiful to watch players you admire achieve their dreams, but it’s also scary to think about UK losing multiple elite contributors on the defensive side of the ball.
Nonetheless, the Big Blue Nation will undoubtedly cheer both players on and likely purchase some Bills merchandise.
Hairston and Walker will join Ray Davis, solidifying Buffalo as Lexington North as far as the NFL goes.
In terms of their rookie contracts, both players made out well and were rewarded for their body of work in college as well as their oozing potential.
Spotrac reports that Hairston inked a four-year, $15.24 million deal, while Walker locked up a four-year, $5.24 million contract.
They were the seventh and eighth players from the 2025 draft class to sign with their respective teams.
Hairston is expected to compete for a starting position in Buffalo, with many believing that his rookie campaign will be one to remember. Mad Max did suffer a minor hamstring injury on the team’s final day minicamp but it’s not expected to be serious or even limit his presence at training camp.
After being drafted 109th, Deone Walker will aim to flex his muscles in the NFL and show what he’s capable of.
The big man made plenty of plays in college, but offensive lines were able to key in on him with plenty of double-teams, which shouldn’t be as big of an obstacle in the pros. I see lots of sacks in Walker’s future if anyone has to block him one-on-one.
It’ll be neat to tune in on Sundays to watch the beloved Wildcats play for one of the best teams in the NFL.