The Raiders have reached a contract agreement with cornerback D.J. Hayden, their first-round pick, Adam Caplan of TheSidelineView.com reported Thursday.
The No. 12 overall pick, Hayden will vie to start right off the bat for the Raiders, who have made big changes to their secondary in the offseason. In addition to drafting Hayden in Round One, the Raiders added Charles Woodson at safety and veteran cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Mike Jenkins.
Hayden had abdominal surgery in May, but head coach Dennis Allen indicated in June that the club expected him to be ready for training camp.
As a senior at the University of Houston, Hayden suffered a serious blood vessel injury, but he recovered, and he was widely regarded as one of the top cornerbacks available in the Class of 2013.