This weekend, the 4-4 Las Vegas Raiders travel back to the Bay Area to face the 6-1 San Francisco 49ers. It will be an emotional weekend for Raider Nation, especially those remaining in Oakland, as the team returns for the first time since their final game there nearly seven years ago.

As the Raiders prepare to face one of the best teams in the NFL after a bye week, they could be without No. 2 cornerback Darien Porter, who injured his groin early in their win over the New York Jets.

Porter did not practice on Wednesday, as head coach Klint Kubiak called him “day-to-day.”

“I think it's just we’re just taking it day to day, and he’s making progress,” Kubiak told reporters.

An Opportunity Arises

With Porter absent from practice and the possibility of him missing Sunday’s game, two rookie cornerbacks could get more opportunities to play opposite Eric Stokes.

Fifth-round rookie Hezekiah Masses has had an up-and-down rookie season, but the flashes have been encouraging when he has seen the field. It is hard to imagine him not having a major role in the defense in 2027. However, the Raiders need to begin viewing what they have in fourth-round selection Jermod McCoy as a unique case in these circumstances.

The former Tennessee Volunteer standout was once considered a top-15 prospect from this past spring’s NFL Draft. However, red flags around his major injury last January led to a shocking fall out of the first 100 picks, and the Raiders took an opportunity to bolster their defensive back room with a terrific talent who would need patience to get his feet under him.

McCoy played roughly 30 snaps against the Jets after Porter went down, and Kubiak said on Monday that it's all about getting better for McCoy, and I couldn’t agree more based on what I observed from Sunday’s game. However, there’s a sense that McCoy’s opportunity for more playing time could come this weekend at Levi’s Stadium.

The Focus of Growth

While McCoy may get an extended look on Sunday, the focus for the rookie and the Raiders has not changed. Kubiak said as much on Wednesday, crediting defensive backs coach Joe Woods for being key in the growth of the young secondary pieces, including McCoy.

“Whether he was getting no reps or now getting more, it’s getting better at your position and being really intentional about your individual and being a factor on special teams, being great with your eyes and your keys and your technique, and those are things that make Joe Woods such a special coach, and we’re so happy to have Joe,” Kubiak said. 

“And those DBs are so happy to have him as a mentor and as a coach. A guy with so much experience that helps him play.”

McCoy won’t yet be the star-studded talent he was as a sophomore in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is basically learning how to get comfortable on an active gridiron against live fire for the first time in almost two years. These things take time, but having a coaching staff that is disciplined in making sure young players have all the resources available to them is a key step in their development next week, the rest of the season, and the coming years.