Maxwell Hairston, Chris Paul Jr., and other different “outliers” you should bet on in the 2025 NFL Draft class
When it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft or any other class, there is a fascinating conversation surrounding the art of scouting. As a collective, we obsess over measurements and body types. There are long list of thresholds to consider, and supposedly they eliminate a lot of the guessing game during the final evaluation. As […]
When it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft or any other class, there is a fascinating conversation surrounding the art of scouting. As a collective, we obsess over measurements and body types. There are long list of thresholds to consider, and supposedly they eliminate a lot of the guessing game during the final evaluation.
As we see every year, those thresholds are not absolute, and there is indeed an art to scouting. You mustn’t bet on outliers too much, but there are always going to be players who outplay their supposed deficiencies. There are several in the 2025 class that fit that description.
David Walker, EDGE, Central Arkansas
Since 1999, Walker will be tied for the fourth shortest EDGE that has been drafted along with former Troy standout Javon Solomon. Unlike Solomon, Walker does not overcompensate that lack of height with long arms. Walker’s arm length will be just in the 3rd percentile, a place you never want to be. It’ll be pretty easy for a scout who believes deeply in those length thresholds to overlook the former Central Arkansas star.
If they do, they will be overlooking some insane production on the FCS level, including 63 tackles for loss and 31 sacks over the last three seasons. What Walker lacks in length, he makes up for with sheer power. Walker is also a slippery rusher who plays with some of the best nuance in the class. You can overlook him if you like, but I personally will not.
Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Some people are going to hyper-focus on Hairston’s weight, which is currently just the 7th percentile historically. The track record of successful NFL cornerbacks being less than 180 pounds is very, very small. Obviously, Hairston is just a pound away from completely ending this conversation, but there’s no telling what weight he typically plays at. It’s possible that he has already bulked up a good bit for the draft process.
Regardless of whether he has or hasn’t, Hairston is a tremendous football player. He possesses tremendous hip fluidity, ball skills, and long speed to excel on the next level. Hairston is already having a big week at the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, which is testing himself against some of the top wide receivers in the class.
TJ Sanders, DT, South Carolina
284 pounds is very, very light for an interior defensive lineman. Since 1999, that would place Sanders in just the 7th percentile. Luckily for him, Sanders does have the length and core strength to overcompensate. Sanders put that power profile on display at the Senior Bowl on Tuesday for one of the biggest highlights of the day.
In the Gamecock defensive system, Sanders was asked to do a lot of the dirty work over the last two seasons. When he has been able to be let loose and make plays, Sanders has done so. There is a ton of untapped upside as a one-gap penetrator.
Chris Paul Jr., LB, Ole Miss
Paul just competed at the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl and was one of the biggest standouts from the week. That’s coming off of a junior season for the Rebels where Paul recorded 88 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. His combination of range and instincts allowed him to make plays all over the field.
The problem for Paul is he’s very small for NFL standards. He weighed in at just 224 pounds, which would put him in the 4th percentile for the position since 1999. Paul also measured with just 30 ⅛ inch arms, and that would be the smallest of any linebacker drafted in that timeframe. The good news is that his speed does make up for that lack of range in terms of tackle radius, but it will be something to monitor closely.
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