Let this be a (bad) rumor!

[Tenebrous]

Jason LaCanfora: How's this for a shocker: Several execs picking early in round 1 believe OAK will take corner DJ Hayden 3rd overall if they keep the pick

Just no - waaaaay too high.

[Tenebrous]

D.J. Hayden moving up to No. 3 in the draft would qualify as a shocker.

Several teams picking in the high end of the first round believe the Raiders, if they cannot trade down, will take Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden with the third overall pick, which would certainly qualify as the first shocker of this unpredictable draft.

Hayden has made a tremendous rise since taking a blow to his heart from a helmet in November and nearly dying.

Multiple clubs have him rated as the top corner available, according to league sources. And as his medical issues have subsided and his months of recovery have him back in peak condition, teams have increasingly elevated his draft stock.

Still, going third overall would be a surprise to many. The Raiders are high on him and are seen as a true wild card at the top of the draft. And though they are trying to trade down, other clubs are penciling them with Hayden in their projections. One GM in the top 10 believes Oakland will be able to pull off a trade down -- in which case, Hayden would be the target of that move.

Oakland has been linked with Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, as well as any of the top three offensive tackles. But the Hayden buzz is growing. If the Raiders keep the third pick and Hayden's name is called, I can't consider it a surprise anymore.

And several executives that I was in contact with would be surprised to hear any other name called at this point.

[Tenebrous]

For what it's worth:

One GM: "Quiet before the storm." My response: "Not for the Raiders." They are getting a ton of calls for No. 3. "It's red-hot," I'm told.

[R8ers4evr]

why not? he fits the bill of a typical RM draft pick... great person. great football player... and has a great story... (he almost passed away on the field last year, not sure what all everybody knows)... but it is impossible to criticize these picks... unless we go with...... idk matt barkeley at 3 overall... i was hoping for star loutelei myself... and honestly was hoping we'd move down to 5-7 to let everybody else draft the OL and then we'd grab star there... but its hard to criticize the move even if we draft him... we tried 2 vet cb's last year. both sucked, both got hurt. we are doing it again this year... now dont get me wrong, i like both this year, porter and jenkins... both semi young, but remember both are on 1 yr deals... and in this league u need 3 cb's... but for all u guys know, they are targetting a DT in round 3 or something...

anyways. hopefully they trade down and sumhow get a 2nd round pick?! then possibly get this guy anyways... dont forget, u guys that hate RM (im still undecided... we were close to the playoffs, but to me not super bowl contenders, but yet just getting to the playoffs would be nice, and once ur in, anything can happen)... anyways, one thing all of us have at least sumwhat agreed, RM has seemed to be a fairly good drafter... so gotta trust him at this part...????????

[snakebuck]

As it turns out, RM wanted to trade down the pick and pick up Hayden there and then pick up Floyd. Something happened with the phone calls. It would have been nice to get Floyd too!