The 49ers have gotten solid work from their secondary to start the season, but it’s hard not to glance at Las Vegas rookie Hezekiah Masses and wonder what might have been in San Francisco.
Masses, who spent his senior year at Cal, built a reputation as a ballhawk after picking off five passes in 13 games. That made him look like a natural fit for the 49ers heading into the 2026 NFL Draft.
Instead, San Francisco went with another West Coast corner, selecting Ephesians Prysock out of Washington in Round 4. Masses, meanwhile, landed with the Raiders in Round 5.
The choice hasn’t mattered much for Prysock yet. He hasn’t played in a game for the 49ers and has been inactive for all four weeks, while San Francisco has stuck with Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout and Jack Jones.
Masses, though, has already given Las Vegas something to like. The Raiders have jumped out to a 3-1 start, and the rookie made an early impact with three interceptions and six passes defended through the first three games. For a while, it looked like he might be headed toward a special rookie season.
Then came Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, when things got rough. Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City went after Masses seven times, and he gave up four catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns. It was a sharp reminder that rookies get tested fast in this league.
The next step will tell the real story. Does Masses bounce back to the turnover-making form he showed early, or did the Chiefs show the rest of the NFL how to attack him?
San Francisco will get a close look at him in Week 9 when the two teams meet. By then, the 49ers should have a better sense of whether they passed on a corner who could have fit a real need. The Niners have needed more defenders who can make plays and force turnovers, and if Masses keeps flashing the way he did early for Las Vegas, this one could linger.
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What makes this one so compelling is how narrow the margins already feel. The 49ers have to sort out their offensive line against a front built to disrupt, then find answers for a defense that knows how to squeeze San Franciscos preferred looks and limit easy completions. If the 49ers are going to leave Seattle with control of the division race intact, they will need a cleaner day than they have had in this matchup lately, and this early test could say plenty about how much room this offense really has against elite resistance. [Read more 🡒]