By the DraftClassInsider staff · Published October 12, 2026 · Through Week 5 of the 2026 season
- Draft: Round 5, No. 175, a compensatory pick, out of Cal by way of FIU. He was Cal's only draft pick in 2026.
- Contract: four years, $4,759,476. The only guaranteed money is the $379,476 signing bonus. His 2026 cap hit is $979,869.
- 2026 so far: 3 interceptions for 67 return yards, 6 passes defensed and 19 tackles in 5 games. He is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions.
- Honors: AFC Defensive Player of the Week and Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week, both for Week 2.
- The caution: PFF's coverage grade ranked him 122nd of 172 defensive backs through Week 4, and he allowed touchdowns in Weeks 4 and 5.
How a Fifth-Round Pick Got Here
The pick came from the NFL's compensatory formula. The Raiders received No. 175 in March after losing more free agents (K'Lavon Chaisson, Divine Deablo, Nate Hobbs, Tre'von Moehrig and Robert Spillane) than they signed (Jeremy Chinn, Elandon Roberts and Eric Stokes). On the draft's final day they used it on Masses, a cornerback from Deerfield Beach, Florida, who spent three seasons at FIU before transferring to Cal for 2025.
His one season at Cal was very good. He started all 13 games and had 47 tackles, five interceptions and 13 passes defensed, which led the ACC. He was a second-team All-American and first-team All-ACC. Most draft analysts were less impressed. Dane Brugler's draft guide, "The Beast," ranked him the 26th-best cornerback in the class with a sixth-round grade: "Masses is underpowered and grabby, but his sudden footwork and coverage awareness lead to plays on the football." He was Cal's only draft pick, and Bear Insider noted he was the first Cal player the Raiders had drafted since Nnamdi Asomugha in 2003.
On draft day, Masses said: "I just feel like my IQ and my instincts when I'm on the field are unmatched." He also said, "I'm not taking it lightly. All gas, no brakes."
Two Interceptions in His First Start
He competed for a starting job from minicamp on, alternating first-team reps with second-year corner Darien Porter. His chance came when Porter hurt his foot in the fourth quarter of the season-opening win over Miami. According to Athlon Sports, Masses was targeted on his first NFL snap and broke up the pass.
With Porter out, Masses made his first start on September 20 at the Chargers and intercepted Justin Herbert twice. On the first, he took a bobbled pass intended for David Njoku and returned it 29 yards. He finished with five tackles, a tackle for loss, two passes defensed and the two interceptions in a 26-14 win. "Herbert tried me twice and I was trying to make a play on the ball," he said. "It's mine, it ain't no 50-50 ball." The NFL named him AFC Defensive Player of the Week, the first Raiders rookie to win it since Maxx Crosby in 2019. Raiders.com reported he was the seventh rookie in team history with two interceptions in a game, and the first since Henry Williams in 1979. Fans voted him Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.
He added a third interception the next week in a 35-27 comeback win at New Orleans, and the AP noted it set up the Raiders' final scoring drive. That put him in a tie for the league lead after three games. "He's our starting corner, so he's going to be getting their very best every week," head coach Klint Kubiak said, according to AtoZ Sports.
The Fine Print
The interceptions are real, but his coverage numbers are mixed:
- The good start: in his Week 2 start he allowed two catches for 16 yards on six targets, according to Raiders.com. Raiders PR said that through two weeks he and Trent McDuffie were the only cornerbacks to allow a 0.0 passer rating on at least five targets.
- The cooler stretch: PFF, as reported by Athlon Sports, ranked him 81st of 94 cornerbacks in Week 3. It charged him with four catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets against Kansas City in Week 4, and ranked his coverage grade 122nd of 172 defensive backs through four games.
- Week 5: in the 45-17 loss at New England he had one tackle, and Kyle Williams beat him one-on-one for a 34-yard touchdown from Drake Maye, according to both Raiders.com and Patriots.com.
- The depth chart: the Raiders' unofficial Week 5 depth chart, released October 6, listed Porter ahead of Masses, with a note that "changes are fluid."
Athlon Sports described his New Orleans interception as "another case of simply being in a good spot on a broken play": the ball floated to him after Malcolm Koonce hit quarterback Tyler Shough. Interceptions come in streaks, and some of his came from good positioning rather than tight coverage. Being in the right place is a skill, but a cornerback who gives up touchdowns has to keep making plays on the ball to stay on the field.
Where He Ranks
Through Week 5, Masses has 19 tackles, three interceptions for 67 return yards and six passes defensed. ESPN's leaderboard has him tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with Byron Murphy Jr., Xavier McKinney, Jevon Holland, Renardo Green and Jordan Battle, and his 67 return yards are the most in that group. Bill Barnwell ranked him second on his quarter-season Defensive Rookie of the Year ballot on October 8, behind the Giants' Arvell Reese. Betting markets are less convinced. VegasInsider's October 12 listing has him at +4000 at six sportsbooks.
The contract makes the start more valuable. His four-year deal is worth $4.76 million, and only the $379,476 signing bonus is guaranteed. By comparison, Jermod McCoy, the cornerback the Raiders took 74 picks earlier, signed for $5.68 million and has played as a reserve. Masses has outplayed his contract by a wide margin so far.
Our take. Masses is the best-value pick of the 2026 draft through five weeks, with Kahlil Benson the best value among undrafted players. He has ball skills, confidence and a quick reaction to the ball, and those are hard to teach. The next month should show whether he can hold up in coverage against teams that have studied his tape. If he does, the Raiders have a starting cornerback for the price of a special-teamer. If not, he is a useful rotation corner with a knack for turnovers, which is still a good outcome for pick No. 175. For other late picks off to fast starts, see our sleepers and undrafted early returns. For Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, see We Called Them Reaches.
Sources
- Raiders.com - Raiders awarded two compensatory picks for 2026 (March 9, 2026)
- Raiders.com - Raiders select CB Hezekiah Masses at No. 175 (April 25, 2026)
- Raiders.com - Raiders sign fifth-round pick Hezekiah Masses (April 30, 2026)
- Bear Insider - Masses drafted by Raiders in fifth round (April 25, 2026)
- Write for California - Cal's 2026 NFL Draft recap, with Dane Brugler's grade (April 30, 2026)
- PFT - Masses in the mix for a starting job (June 30, 2026)
- Athlon Sports via Yardbarker - How the Raiders will handle Darien Porter's absence (Sept. 18, 2026)
- Raiders.com - Game recap: Raiders earn first win in Los Angeles since 2020 (Sept. 20, 2026)
- Raiders.com - Masses named AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 23, 2026)
- Raiders.com - Masses named NFL Rookie of the Week (Sept. 24, 2026)
- Newsweek - Raiders rookie calls out Justin Herbert (Sept. 21, 2026)
- AP via ESPN - Raiders come back to top the Saints 35-27 (Sept. 27, 2026)
- AtoZ Sports - Kubiak on his starting corner (Sept. 29, 2026)
- Athlon Sports via Yardbarker - PFF says Masses is underperforming (Sept. 28, 2026)
- Athlon Sports via Yardbarker - Masses gets wake-up call against Chiefs (Oct. 6, 2026)
- Raiders.com - Unofficial depth chart for Week 5 (Oct. 6, 2026)
- Patriots.com - 8 takeaways from the win over the Raiders (Oct. 11, 2026)
- ESPN - Hezekiah Masses game log
- ESPN - NFL interception leaders
- OverTheCap - Hezekiah Masses contract
- ESPN - Bill Barnwell's quarter-season awards (Oct. 8, 2026)
- VegasInsider - Rookie of the Year odds (Oct. 12, 2026)