The Jacksonville Jaguars may not have received any love from NFL Network’s “Top-100 Players” list/show, but that wasn’t the case for our comrades with Touchdown Wire. In their recent top-101 players list by Doug Farrar, the Jags made an appearance with a surprising name fans might not be expecting.
91. D.J. Hayden, Slot CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
In 335 slot coverage snaps last season, Hayden allowed 24 catches on 38 targets for 195 yards, 110 yards after catch, no touchdowns, and an opponent passer rating of 76.1. He has the quickness and route awareness to track the game’s best receivers from the slot, and judging by his two sacks, seven total pressures, 18 stops, and five tackles for loss, he’s more than just a coverage guy.
Although the argument could be made that the list could’ve had more Jags, putting Hayden on the list is one I can understand. In fact, in our discussion with Shant Club, I deemed him a top-3 to top-4 nickelback.
On film, Hayden is very comfortable in the slot, smothering receivers. When a ball is occasionally caught by his man, he’s quick to bring that player down. As mentioned by Farrar, offenses also have to be aware of him behind the line of scrimmage as he is a player who can deceptively get to the quarterback and could easily have 10 career tackles for loss (currently at seven) with the Jags by the end of 2020.
With the highest defensive Pro Football Focus grade on the team, Hayden will be viewed as a leader for the Jags’ locker room, which is amongst the youngest in football. Additionally, he’ll be on a contract year so fans may see him play on an even higher level in 2020.
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