NFL Draft: Joey Porter Jr. Scouting Report for Pittsburgh Steelers CB

The Pittsburgh Steelers chose former Penn State Football cornerback Joey Porter Jr. with the No. 32 pick in the second-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, dropping an impact player into the secondary.

Porter Jr., 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, while boasting 34-inch arms, has all of the traits that NFL defensive coordinators covet at the cornerback position.

Widely viewed as one of the better press-cornerbacks in this year’s class, the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers legend Joey Porter didn’t log an interception last season, but did break up 11 passes while producing 27 total tackles and recovering one fumble.

According to Pro Football Focus, Porter Jr. held opposing quarterbacks to a 63.6 passer rating, while allowing just 15 receptions on 30 targets during a stellar 2022 campaign, as an anchor of the Nittany Lions‘ secondary.

PFF awarded Porter Jr. with a 77.4 coverage grade last season.

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Here are several Joey Porter Jr. Scouting Reports

Pro Football Focus

Joey Porter Sr., a former All-Pro edge defender most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers, terrorized opposing quarterbacks. Now, his son is doing the same, just in the secondary. Joey Porter Jr. was a starter in Penn State’s secondary for the past three years, and his 40% forced incompletion rate in 2022 led all Power Five cornerbacks. Seven of those forced incompletions came against Purdue, which is the most in a single game by a Power Five cornerback in the PFF College era. At his size, Porter should excel as a press-man cornerback at the next level.

NFL.com

Ascending cornerback combining traits and above average play strength that create a clear definition of who he is as a player. He can reroute the release and has the frame to close catch windows against big receivers in press-man or Cover 2 looks. Delayed transitions and sluggish change of direction put him in conflict in off coverages, so teams must pay attention to matchups and scheme in order to avoid a field full of yellow laundry. There is work to be done to improve tackle consistency in the run game, but he finishes tackles after a catch. Porter has scheme limitations, but he also has CB1 potential with more work and if utilized properly.

CBS Sports

The son of former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter is a competitive, man-coverage cornerback with great length. Despite his limited ball production, Porter does a good job of staying in-phase up the boundary and is physical at the catch point.