Raiders place first-round pick DJ Hayden on injured reserve

The Oakland Raiders completed the feel good story for former Houston Cougars cornerback D.J. Hayden when they selected him in the first-round of the 2013 NFL Draft following a near-fatal injury, but his season has come to an abrupt end thanks to groin injury.

Hayden has been dealing with the nagging injury for most of the season, but now it will officially send him on the injured reserve list and end his rookie year.

The team announced the move on Wednesday afternoon.

Oakland was hoping that Hayden would be a key piece of their rebuilding secondary after selecting him with the No. 12 overall pick, but he had his moments of severe struggling that never allowed the Raiders secondary to take their next step.

Hopefully Hayden will now have the time he needs to fully recover from the injury thanks to being on the IR.

While the 2013 campaign was not what Hayden and the Raiders were hoping for, he can still bounce back in 2014 with a full offseason to prepare and a future that will hopefully avoid any more serious injuries.