Pro Football Rumors
One of the Raiders’ Day 3 picks is making an early push for a starting cornerback job. And no, it is not former Tennessee star Jermod McCoy, who was considered a first-round prospect but fell to the fourth round due to a degenerative knee condition.
Instead, fifth-rounder Hezekiah Masses has emerged as an early candidate to start on the boundary opposite Eric Stokes. At mandatory minicamp, Masses split first-team reps with 2025 third-rounder Darien Porter, per ESPN’s Ryan McFadden, indicating some early optimism from the Raiders’ coaching staff.
Masses, who turns 22 years old on June 30, earned a starting job partway through his freshman year at FIU and carrier it though the subsequent two seasons (via Dane Brugler of The Athletic). In 2025, he transferred to Cal, where he logged career-best marks of 47 tackles, 13 passes defended (also an FBS-high), and five interceptions. He earned second-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honors for his efforts, but his thin frame and below-average athletic profile raised questions about his ability to transition to the NFL. It’s worth noting, though, that Masses was extremely durable in college and appeared in 49 straight games over the last four seasons.
Jumping straight into a starting role will still be an uphill climb for Masses, but a thin, young cornerback room in Las Vegas offers him a clear opening. Stokes signed a three-year to return to his starting role and Porter started 10 games last year, but no other Raiders cornerback played more than 10 snaps on the boundary (in the NFL) last year, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
McCoy, who missed all of last season due to a torn ACL, has participated in spring practices but a carefully managed workload has limited his ability to stand out. He will still be in the mix for a starting job, McFadden notes. If the former Volunteeer can return to – or even approach – his spectacular form from the 2024 season, he should find himself playing in regular season games sooner rather than later.
