Oakland Raiders Players Set For Big 2015 Seasons

October 6, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback DJ Hayden (25) intercepts the ball against San Diego Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) during the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

D.J. Hayden

Cornerback and 2013 1st-round draft pick D.J. Hayden finally shook off injuries and looked like the player he was drafted to be. He showed the ability to be a shut-down corner and now only needs to be more consistent to be that. With a full offseason this year finally, he’ll get the chance to put the work in to be more consistent and become that shutdown corner.

And playing with him will be T.J. Carrie how stepped up when others were injured and Kieth McGill, who stepped up when Carrie was injured. It’s going to interesting to see who wins that battle for No. 2 corner as McGill really didn’t have a shot early in the year do to injury. The Raiders’ pass defense immediately got better when Hayden came back from injury and even better when Carrie and McGill were in there with him so that’s promising for next year.

So while all three corners get better, Hayden’s active offseason will have him improve the most. Therefore, Hayden with jump from average to good this coming year as I expect him to stay healthy. He has elite talent but I’m not going to put him in the elite column until I see him as a healthy, good player first.

Next: Justin Ellis