The story of University of Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden is a scary, yet inspirational, one. He almost died five months ago when he tore his inferior vena cava (a large vein that carries blood to and from the heart), and now he his Mike Mayock's top rated corner in this draft. He isn't especially big (5'11", 191 pounds), but he plays bigger than his size and has elite instincts that put him among the top cornerbacks in this draft.
If you want to read about the full story of Hayden's nearly tragic incident just click on this link.
The Miami Dolphins could use another cornerback. It definitely isn't their biggest hole, but they could still use a talented guy like Hayden.
Hayden is a fast and quick corner. Like I mentioned earlier his instincts are top shelf. He has a nose for the ball and is constantly making plays. His size isn't perfect, but I don't think it will affect him too much. He is great in coverage and his instincts make up for a lack of size.
His biggest concern has to be his injury five months ago, but if he isn't going to have any more problems with that then I think he could be worth the 12th pick. I don't expect Miami to get him then because of the cornerback depth of this class, but I still think he is worthy of the 12.
Here's some game tape to watch on Hayden. Notice how he is constantly making plays (i.e. interception and stripping the ball). Enjoy:
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know what you think. The draft is only a few days away. I hope you guys are as excited as I am.
Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm also on twitter @PaulDSmythe.
