As a former high first-round pick, Oakland Raiders cornerback DJ Hayden entered the NFL to pretty lofty expectations. Unfortunately for Hayden and for Raider Nation, the one-time No. 12 selection simply hasn't been able to live up to the billing thus far in his NFL career thanks in large part to injuries and inconsistency which have robbed him of 14 games over the past two seasons. Set to enter NFL Year Three, Hayden indicated recently that he's no longer concerned with making mistakes. It's full go all the time and it can't be any other way.
"My mind-set this year I am just going full-force," Hayden said, via SFGate.com. "Whether I make a mistake or not, I am going to do it full speed. Last year, I was hesitant about making mistakes.
"This year, I don't give a damn."
The Raiders, under new head coach Jack Del Rio and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. have amassed a talented young group of cornerbacks - Hayden, Keith McGill and TJ Carrie - who look set to carry the heft of the load for the Raiders defense going forward. The only question left to answer is; who winds up where?
Carrie, a seventh-round pick last season, played well in 13 games for Oakland in 2014 and is currently manning the No. 1 corner spot. That leaves Hayden and McGill, a fourth-round pick last year, to battle it out for the No. 2 position. McGill, 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, certainly has a size advantage on the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Hayden, but he appeared in just 12 games for the black and silver last season, managing only 12 tackles and one pass defensed. Hayden's contributions may be light, but he's more of a known commodity at this point than the former Utah standout.
For his part though, Hayden vehemently disagrees with the suggestion that just because the group is young, they may struggle.
"I say screw all that," Hayden said, according to SFGate.com. "We're young, so what? We're about to ball. We're going to take advantage of our plays and make plays."
While the Raiders season may not necessarily hinge on Hayden and McGill's ability to stay healthy and develop, after GM Reggie McKenzie decided not to add a veteran corner in free agency, the contributions from the pair of corners will certainly go a long way toward helping Norton build that mean, stingy defense he touted earlier this offseason.
