2023 mock NFL Draft: 49ers watch NFC get significantly stronger
Joey Porter Jr. 17. player. 806. . Cornerback . Nittany Lions
2023 NFL Draft, Pick No. 17: Pittsburgh Steelers – Joey Porter Jr, Cornerback, Penn State
Cameron Sutton and Levi Wallace are both free agents for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Wallace could stand to be upgraded anyway. Joey Porter Jr. is an exciting prospect with a lot of upside.
Porter is your prototypical man-cover corner. He has incredible length and his arm measurements will be interesting at the combine. He has good size at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, and he’s got some excellent speed to complement that size.
The defensive back thus has the physical tools to be something special for the NFL. Receivers find it exceptionally hard to match up on him given that arm length since his wingspan doesn’t let many balls get past him on tight coverage.
The issue facing Porter is he’s scheme-locked for the NFL. He doesn’t have the ability to play in the slot, and he faces problems if he’s in a zone-based scheme. He also wasn’t a big play threat despite his physical attributes at Penn State, recording zero interceptions this season and only one the year before that.
Nevertheless, a team with the right scheme will definitely be picking him up on opening night.