The Las Vegas Raiders are staring down a “significant exam” with their Week 3 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, a team that’s been on the rise since the back half of the 2025 campaign. But honestly, the bigger story heading into Sunday isn’t just the Saints, it’s the absolute chaos erupting in the Raiders’ cornerback room thanks to one rookie making some serious waves.
Hezekiah Masses Is Balling Out and The Saints Are Gonna Notice
Hezekiah Masses is *the* guy right now. Seriously. The rookie corner went out and created two turnovers with interceptions in his very first start last week. That’s not just good, that’s game-changing. He also flashed some better ball skills than we’ve seen, and get this, even provided some unexpected run support with a couple of defensive stops. That’s huge growth for a guy who can struggle against the run. With Eric Stokes already locking down one side, the question isn’t *if* Masses plays, it’s how much. My money’s on him starting in New Orleans.
Darien Porter played well in Week 1, letting up only one catch on five targets, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s solid, but he hasn’t recorded a single pick in 11 starts, which is a wild stat compared to Masses’ two in one game. While Porter absolutely brings something to the table, Masses’ ball-hawking ability and emerging run support just scream “starter.” We’re probably looking at a similar rotation this week to what we saw with Jermod McCoy last week, with the split possibly even closer to 50/50 between Masses and Porter to see who earns that full-time starting spot.
Who Else Steps Up With the Nickel Back in Flux?
The nickel position is another headache, especially with Taron Johnson struggling in coverage. Jermod McCoy got 18 snaps last week across two series, but he also looked like he was “spinning a bit” with some rookie mistakes against the Chargers that the Saints could totally expose. If Porter is fully healthy, I wouldn’t be surprised if McCoy sees less field time.
The idea of trying Porter, McCoy, or even Masses at nickel to get them more reps is out there, especially since Johnson isn’t exactly shutting things down. Putting someone like Johnson at safety, with Masses at nickel and Porter on the outside in obvious passing situations, especially on third-and-long, has even been floated. Why Johnson at safety? Treydan Stukes is out, and the other options at free safety are Isaiah Pola-Mao or Tristin McCollum. Johnson has been rotating into the backend post-snap and even worked with the safeties in training camp. It’s a gamble, for sure, but with Johnson’s coverage woes, it’s a move to consider.
The Week 3 clash against the Saints isn’t just about a “significant exam” on the field, it’s about figuring out who the heck is going to be locking down the cornerback spots for the rest of the season. The early season is all about finding out what you have, and right now, the Raiders have a fantastic problem with Hezekiah Masses making a name for himself.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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