Raiders Day 3 Corners Vie for Early Starting Window, With Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses in the Mix

The Las Vegas Raiders’ offseason cornerback competition is already drawing early attention around two players selected on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft: Hezekiah Masses and Jermod McCoy. According to Pro Football Rumors, Masses has been making an early push for a starting role, positioning himself as more than just a depth option on the back end.

Pro Football Rumors frames the competition as more active than typical for rookies, emphasizing that Masses is being viewed as a real contender to win meaningful snaps. The report also notes that McCoy is in the mix as a candidate, meaning the Raiders’ coaches will likely have multiple young options to evaluate when sorting out their starting cornerback picture.

McCoy’s path to the pro level, however, carries an important context. Pro Football Rumors states McCoy was once considered a first-round prospect but fell to the fourth round due to a degenerative knee condition. That kind of medical history typically changes how teams approach training-camp reps, practice workload, and snap management, even when the player’s on-field ability remains a priority.

Masses, meanwhile, is described by Pro Football Rumors as the other early name to watch among the Raiders’ Day 3 cornerbacks. The thrust of the report is that the Raiders’ starting job is not simply being penciled in for an incumbent, but rather is still open to competition, with Masses seeking to separate himself in the early stages of the roster-building process.

For a franchise that has spent recent seasons trying to build consistency across defensive back depth, the Raiders’ willingness to spotlight a rookie in the starting conversation matters. If Masses continues to trend upward, it could change how the Raiders allocate their practice resources, how they structure defensive rotations, and how quickly they can settle their outside coverage responsibilities.

There is also an immediate, practical caveat. Reports like this are typically written before the full season of evaluations, and a starting job in the NFL is rarely determined by early impressions alone. The knee-related context around McCoy, in particular, suggests that availability and workload management could be as important as who looks best on any single day of practice.

What to watch next for Las Vegas is straightforward: whether Masses keeps earning traction with the first-team group, whether McCoy’s knee condition affects his ability to maintain a full practice workload, and how the coaching staff ultimately balances potential with durability and scheme fit as camp approaches.