DJ Hayden is getting very close to having the phrase "draft bust" placed before his name. The cornerback was the No. 12 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft as the Raiders were hoping he would be the future of the team's secondary unit. After a strong college career, Hayden's NFL potential looked to be through the roof. However that has yet to be the case as injuries continue to hinder his progress on the field. After missing a solid portion of his rookie season, history appears to be repeating itself.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport is reporting that Hayden is likely headed for injured reserve of the PUP list after suffering a stress fracture in his foot. Hayden showed up to organized team activities healthy, but then appeared at training camp with a walking book on. It was a another setback in the second-year pros development as a future star in Oakland.
Hayden came to Oakland after having several red flags following a dangerous heart ailment suffered in college. He appeared to get healthy, but then suffered a groin injury that caused him to miss the remainder of the season including eight games. Oakland remained optimistic that Hayden could return healthy and dominant in 2014, but so far that is not the case.
The secondary is a huge weakness for the Raiders. The team was counting on Hayden emerging as a real impact player for the team. General manager Reggie McKenzie signed Tarell Brown and Carlos Rodgers to help with depth, but they were castoffs from the 49ers. They have younger players like Neiko Thorpe and TJ Carrie who now stand a better shot at making the roster. Charles Woodson is the returning veteran and he admits the absence of Hayden has been extremely frustrating.
"It's a big setback," Charles Woodson said of Hayden, via CSNBayArea.com. "As I've stated many times, the way you get better at this game is being out there on the field. There's only so much being in the film room, or looking at the film or studying the plays, there's only so far that's going to take you. You need to be out on the field, and along with that, other guys are going to be getting reps. If you're not out there, proving what you can do, how do you ever get back into the lineup? That will be the test for him, and hopefully it's not nothing that's going to hold him out the whole camp and he doesn't have to worry about being on PUP or anything like that, because he's a guy we feel he can help us out around here."
Without Hayden, the Raiders might have to shift some players around. Rookie Jonathan Dowling could see extra playing time in the secondary while Tyvon Branch switches positions. With the cornerback, the Raiders are once again in the hole and once again dealing with a failed first-round draft pick.
