Carolina Panthers Hayden was selected in the sixth round (181st overall) of the
2008 NFL draft by the
Carolina Panthers. In
2010, he became a regular starter (10 games) at
left defensive tackle, registering 51 tackles, one sack, 2 quarterback pressures and one pass defensed. He was waived on September 3,
2011.
Cincinnati Bengals On December 7,
2011, he signed as a
free agent with the
Cincinnati Bengals and played in two games before being declared inactive for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. The next year, he suffered a high ankle sprained in the last preseason game and was waived injured on August 31.
Dallas Cowboys After not playing in
2012, he was signed to a futures contract by the
Dallas Cowboys on February 10,
2013, to provide depth in training camp. The many injuries the team experienced in the
defensive line allowed him to move up the depth chart and be named the team starter at
left defensive tackle. Hayden proved to be a reliable player by starting all 16 games an playing solid against the run. He finished the year with the most tackles (51) and snaps (821) registered by a Cowboys
defensive lineman. He also had 16
quarterback pressures, 2 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one
touchdown. In
2014, he started 16 games and led the team's
defensive linemen with 52 tackles, while also registering 4 tackles for loss (tied for second on the team), 8 quarterback pressures and one pass defensed. In
2015, he didn't start against the
New England Patriots, when the team opened with only 3
defensive linemen. He posted 15 starts, 54 tackles (4 for loss), 5 quarterback pressures and 2 passes defensed. He wasn't re-signed at the end of the season.
Cleveland Browns On July 22,
2016, he was signed as a
free agent by the
Cleveland Browns to play
defensive end in a
3–4 defense, who were looking to improve the depth at the
defensive line after
Desmond Bryant was lost for the year with a torn pectoral muscle. He was released on August 29.
NFL statistics ==References==