Jaguars CB D.J. Hayden Removed From Active/Physically Unable to Perform List
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback D.J. Hayden is back on the team's active roster after the club announced Tuesday morning that he had been removed from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list.
The eighth-year cornerback was placed on the list on Saturday with a knee designation following his physical with the team, but his time on the list was a short one.
"D.J. [Hayden] had a minor procedure done, in the offseason, we knew about it. If we would have been able to bring him in here [he could have rehabbed here] but because of the pandemic we were not able to do that," head coach Doug Marrone said during his Monday virtual press conference with local media. "Obviously, we are just being cautious with that and making sure that he’s fine."
Hayden, the No. 12 overall pick to the Oakland Raiders in the 2013 NFL Draft, signed with Jacksonville in the 2018 season to replace departed slot cornerback Aaron Colvin. Last season, he recorded 41 tackles, five tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and six pass deflections.
In two seasons in Jacksonville, Hayden has proven to be a versatile and dependable slot cornerback thanks to his sound play vs. the run, a knack for contesting passes in the short to intermediate areas of the field, and his ability to get to the quarterback as a blitzer. Thanks to his high-level of play in 2019, Hayden caught the eyes of Pro Football Focus, who tabbed him as the 10th best cornerback in the NFL in 2019.
"The Jaguars run a lot of single-high man-to-man coverage and Cover-3 zone, and Hayden flourished within this scheme by allowing the fewest passing yards (210) of any qualifying cornerback," PFF said. "Like McCourty, Hayden is also one of four players at his position who has not allowed a touchdown pass all season."
According to PFF, Hayden also tied with Richard Sherman by allowing the third-lowest yards per reception average among cornerbacks (8.4) to go along with the NFL's 20th-best passer rating when targeted (74.2). In 2019, Hayden recorded six pass deflections, one forced fumble, two sacks, five quarterback hits, and a career-high five tackles for loss.
"He is a very tough individual, physically and mentally. That is some of the things that we talk about you have to be to play this game. I think he is underrated," Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash said during his final press conference of the 2019 season. "I think we said this a couple weeks ago, what he allows us to do in the run game … He can cover slots man to man. I would definitely say he is underrated for how important he is for our scheme.”
