Deone Walker, Max Hairston named to ESPN's NFL All-Rookie Teams

Deone Walker is quickly outperforming his fourth-round pick status.

Taken with the No. 109 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, Walker has established himself as a rising defensive star through just one season of play. Already a starting defensive tackle for an 11-5 Buffalo squad, the former Kentucky star has registered 39 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, one sack, and one fumble recovery across 16 games played (15 as a starter) this year.

That production has him in line to make the league’s NFL All-Rookie Team once the 2025 season concludes. ESPN’s Ben Solak went ahead and jumped the gun on Tuesday morning when he announced his personal NFL All-Rookie Teams. Solak named Walker and Elijah Roberts (TB) as his two defensive tackles on the All-Rookie First Team.

“Once a prospective first-rounder thanks to his truly elite size (and great movement skills at 6-foot-7, 331 pounds), Walker fell in the draft after a poor final season at Kentucky,” Solak wrote. “Buffalo struck gold when it took the risk in Round 4. Walker regularly takes on two blockers at the line of scrimmage, creates tackle-for-loss opportunities and makes high-effort pursuit plays into the boundary. He has also found more quick wins as a pass rusher than I expected. He’ll get his hands into passing lanes, too — and at his size, that’s a big impediment for opponent QBs.”

But Walker wasn’t the only former Wildcat named to one of Solak’s All-Rookie Teams. In fact, he wasn’t even the only former Wildcat out of Buffalo. Solak also named Bills’ cornerback Maxwell Hairston to his All-Rookie Second Team. The 5-foot-11 defensive back has appeared in 10 games this season (two as a starter), logging 15 tackles, five pass deflections, and two interceptions. Hairston was the 30th overall pick in the draft.

“Hairston has 156 coverage snaps this season, which is just enough to qualify (it’s a made-up list, so there are no real rules),” Solak said. “Hairston has the speed, ball-tracking ability and ball skills of a true No. 1 cornerback with shadow ability, though his play is predictably up and down for a rookie who missed training camp. His lack of bulk will also be exposed by physical receivers and in run defense. Hairston barely beats out two more physical corners — Nohl Williams (Chiefs) and Azareye’h Thomas (Jets) — who have fewer splash plays. But man, both of those guys looked great, too. This is a good cornerback class.”

Cornerbacks Will Johnson (ARI) and Quincy Riley (NO) received All-Rookie First Team nods, while Hairston joined Denzel Burke (ARI) with Second Team honors. If the Bills aren’t already your favorite NFL team to follow from a Kentucky perspective, they should be now.