Las Vegas Raiders’ Joe Woods had to remind everyone of a second-year player’s situation as he continues to have a good training camp
The Las Vegas Raiders have had a good training camp, and second-year cornerback Darien Porter is doing well, too.
The Las Vegas Raiders have high expectations for second-year cornerback Darian Porter, and defensive backs coach Joe Woods offered a candid assessment of where the former third-round pick stands heading into 2026.
Porter, the 6’3, 200-pound corner who ran a 4.3 40-yard dash, was one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft for a reason that goes beyond his measurables. He hadn’t played much cornerback before Las Vegas drafted him.
Porter was a wide receiver at Iowa State from 2019 through 2021 before switching to defensive back in 2022. In just his third year at the position, he recorded three interceptions and two tackles for loss during the 2024 college season.
That switch worked in college, but the NFL is a different challenge entirely. Going into his second professional season, Porter has only played cornerback for five years total.
Woods acknowledges the learning curve
Woods referenced that timeline when asked about Porter’s development during training camp. The defensive backs coach said Porter is getting better and emphasized how important it is to remember just how little experience he has at the position relative to most NFL corners. Woods also noted that Porter is comfortable in the defense and still working on plenty of things, but he has shown real improvement.
“He’s getting better,” Woods said on Saturday. “Again, I think the thing with Darien [Porter] that maybe people forget is that he really didn’t play that much DB in college. You have guys that play DB from when they’re playing little league to high school to college, and he was a receiver. So, a lot of the nuances of the game for him were something that he was learning last year.
“So, now he’s a lot more comfortable. There are still things he’s working on, but I feel like he’s really improved. It’s just the understanding of the game. Like we talk a lot about the pre-snap process, just in terms of information that the offense provides you, down and distance situations, when to be more aggressive, when you have to back off. I feel like all those things he’s more comfortable with, and he understands a little bit better right now.”
The Raiders are expecting a jump from Porter in 2026, and the reasoning is sound. It’s his second year in the league, and he’ll benefit from a better coaching staff this time around compared to what he had as a rookie. This is also his first full offseason to focus exclusively on his own development. Rookies deal with so much at once that it’s difficult to truly refine your craft. That changes in year two.
Porter showed flashes of what he could become. He particularly showed that toward the end of last season when he started to come on. If Las Vegas can get an even better version of that late-season Porter, the secondary takes a significant step forward.
Competition with Hezekiah Massis adds another layer
Porter’s path to a starting role isn’t as clean as many expected. Fifth-round rookie Hezekiah Masses is playing out of his mind during camp and is starting to look like one of the better young players on the roster. Masses appears capable of earning a starting job as a rookie, which is rare for a fifth-round pick at cornerback.
The two are currently sharing first-team snaps. That means Porter won’t coast into the lineup, even though most people had him penciled in as a starter. That competition should only accelerate his growth.
Woods made it clear that Porter’s development is coming along nicely. The talent and physical tools have never been in question. Now it’s about the reps, the comfort level, and the refinement that come with experience at a position he’s still relatively new to. He’s having a good training camp.
