Hayden on the Rise

Three days before the Raiders toppled the Denver Broncos and assumed first place by themselves in the AFC West, defensive back DJ Hayden sat in front of his locker, a black bucket hat pulled slightly forward atop his head.

- Michael Wagaman

The topic was Oakland’s defense and Hayden was adamant the unit was getting better. It might not show up in the stats, Hayden insisted, but the improvement was definitely there.

The fifth-year cornerback might as well have been talking about himself.

While the Raiders do indeed appear to be making strides on defense following a less-than-spectacular start, Hayden also seems to have his career moving in the right direction after an up-and-down past.

With cornerback Sean Smith nursing a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the game on the first series against Tampa Bay and kept him sidelined during the win over Denver, the Raiders have been relying on Hayden to fill the void.

So far, he’s been up to the task.

The 12th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Hayden allowed just two completions against the Bucs, and although one of them went for a touchdown, the two catches totaled just 18 yards.

Hayden, who has stood out this season for his improved open-field tackling, had another strong game the following week against the Broncos when he was part of a secondary that didn’t allow a single Denver wide receiver to tally more than 56 yards in receptions.

Small steps considering Hayden’s shaky past but it’s been a definite improvement nonetheless.