Hezekiah Masses Will Continue Cal's Streak of Defensive Backs Taken in NFL Draft

Cal is expected to add to a couple of Golden Bear streaks in the 2026 NFL draft, which runs from Thursday through Saturday.

For the 10th straight year, Cal is unlikely to have a player taken in the first or second round of the draft. (That is, unless you include Cal graduate Fernando Mendoza, who played for Indiana in 2025 and is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday.)

Not since Jared Goff was the No. 1 overall pick in 2016 has a Golden Bears player been taken in the first two rounds.

However, for the seventh straight year, a Cal defensive back – cornerback Hezekiah Masses -- is expected to be taken in the draft.

Only one school has a longer active streak of defensive backs being drafted each year, and that’s Alabama, which has had at least one defensive back taken in 14 straight drafts.

But it’s very possible that no Crimson Tide defensive back will be drafted this year. If that happens, it would leave Cal with the longest active streak of years in which a defensive back is drafted, assuming Masses is taken.

Cal cornerback Brent “Paco” Austin has an outside shot at being taken in this year’s draft, and they are the only two Golden Bears with a shot at being selected this year. (Cal running back LJ Johnson Jr. is getting some attention from pro scouts, although he is likely to go undrafted.)

Masses would be the 10th Cal defensive back drafted in seven years, and only two colleges – Georgia and Alabama -- have had more defensive backs selected since the start of the 2020 draft.

The 10 colleges with the most defensive backs taken in the past six NFL drafts:

Georgia – 13

Alabama – 11

Cal – 9

LSU – 8

Ohio State – 7

Oregon – 7

Penn State -- 7

Auburn – 7

Minnesota – 7

Pittsburgh – 7

For Cal the focus is on Masses, who is likely to be taken anywhere from the third to sixth round. That means he won’t be picked on Thursday, when only the first round is held, and may not come off the board on Friday, when the second and third rounds are completed.

He may have to wait until Saturday when the remaining picks in the seven-round draft are made.

The best guess is that Masses will go in the fourth round, but it’s difficult to assess his draft status because he has one big asset – his excellent ball skills – but has two significant liabilities – his athleticism and his tackling skills.

Masses was quick to point out his strength after Cal’s Pro Day last month.

“Definitely ball skills,” he said. “I’m good when the ball’s in the air. My IQ on the field; I’m always in good position.

“Some weaknesses I told them, I need to improve in tackling.”

His ball skills were highlighted in his one and only season at Cal, when his 18 passes defended (5 interceptions, 13 pass breakups) tied for the most in the country.

However, his numbers used to measure athleticism were not as impressive.

His 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was good enough, ranking in the middle of cornerbacks’ times, which ranged from 4.32 to 4.59.

But he had the worst measurements among cornerbacks in both the broad jump, at 9-feet, 11-inches, and the vertical jump, at 31.5 inches.

That’s why he repeated his efforts in both those events at Cal’s Pro Day and did considerably better. He said he measured 34 inches in the vertical jump, a considerable improvement over his Combine effort, though still lower than most other cornerbacks. His 10-feet, 1-inch Pro Day leap in the broad jump also was an improvement on his Combine jump but low among draftable cornerbacks.

His ball skills are just too good for NFL teams to ignore, though. Whether he can keep up with NFL receivers will be determined once he gets into an NFL team’s camp.

Austin’s ball skills are nearly as good as Masses’, as indicated by Austin’s 13 pass breakups, which tied for the second-most in the country. That’s why Austin has an outside shot at being drafted.

He said he transferred to Cal from Florida International after the 2024 season specifically because of Cal’s habit of sending defensive backs to the NFL.

Of the 12 Cal players drafted since 2020, nine have been defensive backs. And eight of those nine defensive backs were on opening-day NFL rosters this past season.

The question now is whether Cal can continue to produce NFL-quality defensive backs under the new leadership.

All 10 of the Cal defensive backs, including Masses, drafted since 2020, played under Cal head coach Justin Wilcox, a college defensive back himself who has a knack for developing defensive backs.

Will the run of Cal defensive backs continue under Tosh Lupoi?

Here are the nine Cal defensive backs who have been drafted since 2020 and their 2025 NFL status:

2020

Ashtyn Davis, 3rd round – Started 12 games for the Dolphins in 2025.

Jaylinn Hawkins, 4th round – Started 19 games, including four postseason games, for the Patriots in 2025.

2021

Camryn Bynum, 4th round – Started all 17 games for the Colts in 2025.

2022

Elijah Hicks, 7th round – Played in 17 games, no starts, for the Bears in 2025.

2023

Daniel Scott, 5th round – Played in four games for the Colts before suffering a season-ending injury.

2024

Patrick McMoris, 7th round – Member of the Giants and Cardinals practice squads in 2025.

2025

Nohl Williams, 3rd round – Started five games for the Chiefs in 2025

Craig Woodson, 4th round – Started 19 games, including four postseason games, for the Patriots in 2025

Marcus Harris, 6th round – Started five games for the Titans in 2025.

2026

Hezekiah Masses, ?

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