The NFL draft has come and gone, and a number of former Penn Football standouts headed to the NFL.

Leading the way, and the first former Nittany Lions player off the board was Joey Porter Jr. The son of former NFL great, Joey Porter, is headed to old stomping grounds.

The Pittsburgh Steelers took Porter Jr with the 32nd pick overall and the first pick of the 2nd round during the draft last week.

Anytime a program loses a player early on in the draft there is a hole to fill. James Franklin and Manny Diaz will now be tasked with filling the void that Porter Jr. leaves behind.

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How Penn State Football Will Replace Joey Porter Jr.

Have no fear Penn State fans, position coaches Terry Smith and Anthony Pointdexter have done a fantastic job continuing to reload the PSU secondary with talent.

So who’s the new CB1 for Penn State Football in 2023?

It’s the obvious answer, Kalen King.

The junior  from Detroit Michigan is coming off a phenomenal sophomore campaign. He had 3 INT’s, and 15 passes defended. A sure tackler on the outside that has no problem playing down hill when asked. We all remember that play he made against OSU on a 3rd down I’m sure, beating the WR screen and making the tackle for loss.

King is set to take the next step in 2023 and he’s going to need to, to fill the shoes left behind. And playing against some of the WR’s the Big Ten conference has to offer is no small ask.

With a good year from King is it possible the long drought of Penn State DB’s not being selected in the first round will come to an end? It’s certainly possible.

With King set to take over the CB1 role, another key player is going to be Johnny Dixon. The transfer from South Carolina has come into his own at Penn State.

Coming off a solid year, Dixon seems set to step up into the role playing opposite King.

Most PSU fans thought Storm Duck may be the answer to play opposite King, but the transfer from North Carolina has entered his name in the portal again.

However after Dixon, the room is young. Dequan Hardy is still there, but he’s usually the nickel corner. It’s a talented room but a young room, who will gain valuable playing time as 2023 progresses. While CB2 might hold some questions, one thing is for sure. Kalen King will be have it locked down on the other side.

 

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