Early Friday afternoon, the Oakland Raiders announced that they were placing former first round pick, corner D.J. Hayden on season-ending injured reserve. The oft-sidelined defensive back injured his hamstring in Oakland’s 35-32 win over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday and never returned to the game.
Oakland Raiders Place D.J. Hayden on Injured Reserve
D.J. Hayden suffered a significant hamstring injury in Oakland’s win over the Carolina Panthers, and the Raiders will be without their slot corner for the remainder of the year. Considered a bust after failing to live up to the expectations that come with being selected with the 12th pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft, Hayden had found a home as Oakland’s nickel corner.
While he still gave up the occasional big play, Hayden’s worst enemy was anyone wearing a striped shirt. The Raiders lead the NFL in penalties, and Hayden is the most penalized Raider by far, being flagged 12 times in 11 games. Not only was he the most penalized Raider, but he was the most penalized corner in all of football. The second most penalized defensive back was Patrick Peterson, with only seven flags.
Despite that, Hayden was perfectly acceptable in coverage. He filled in for Sean Smith and David Amerson on multiple occasions and was far from a liability. Pro Football Focus actually has Hayden ranked above the likes of Vontae Davis, Vernon Hargreaves III, and Bradley Roby. Nobody is going to compare Hayden to Richard Sherman any time soon, but he was acceptable.
Hayden’s Future
This was the final year of Hayden’s rookie contract, and his future with the Raiders remains up in the air. The former first round pick had shown flashes of the player Reggie McKenzie took back in 2013, but he also visibly struggled with bigger receivers and penalties. The Raiders will likely attempt to re-sign Derek Carr and Khalil Mack this off-season, so they might not have enough money to pursue a big name in free agency like they did last year.
With Hayden done for the season, TJ Carrie will fill in as the third corner. Carrie has played well in spots over the first three years of his career, but inconsistency has prevented him from starting. It will be interesting to see how Hayden’s absence affects the 28th ranked pass defense. A silver (and black) lining to Hayden’s injury is that perhaps Oakland put him on IR so that they can make room for a returning Aldon Smith.
