Before the 2026 NFL draft, John Spytek’s mission for the Las Vegas Raiders was plain: find young defensive players who can flip the field and steal possessions. The Raiders managed only eight interceptions in 2025, and that shortage shaped the way the front office attacked the draft.
That search for ballhawks helps explain the additions of safeties Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson. But the most interesting defensive pickup might be cornerback Hezekiah Masses, who arrived after Las Vegas had already added Jermod McCoy.
McCoy is considered one of the most talented players in the class, but a knee injury could keep him out or limit him this season. That creates an opening, and Masses is stepping into it with no shortage of confidence.
“I’m coming in to change the program around,” Masses said.
The rookie now enters a cornerback room where the competition is real. Eric Stokes has revived his career in Las Vegas and is set to start on one side, while the other side is up for grabs between Masses, McCoy and Darien Porter. Porter, who opened last season as a rookie starter, has the least defensive experience in the group, so the Raiders need someone dependable opposite Stokes.
That battle has already started during OTAs.
Porter and Masses bring very different profiles to the fight. Porter is the taller, longer athlete who can smother receivers. Masses, the former California Golden Bear, is the undersized but scrappy defender with elite ball skills.
And those ball skills are the reason the Raiders took him at No. 175 overall in the 2026 draft. Masses led the entire NCAA in passes defended last season, and that kind of instinct doesn’t come around often. He has a knack for finding the football and making plays on it.
Still, there’s work to do. His run-game tackling needs improvement, and adding weight to his frame could help there.
He also has to get better in press-man coverage. Masses’ fluid hips make off-man coverage feel natural, but Rob Leonard’s new defense could ask more of him.
If he wants to push for a starting role, that versatility has to come along as the season unfolds.
Even if Masses doesn’t win the job right away, he changes the temperature in the room. The Raiders needed more competition and more takeaways. He brings both.
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