Joey Porter Jr. is coming home. The son of former Steelers' legend Joey Porter, the younger Porter will play for his dad's old team after becoming the first pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
In Pittsburgh, Porter will play alongside two-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson. Peterson actually played with Porter's dad during his final NFL season as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. The addition of Porter may allow Peterson to move to free safety while Fitzpatrick could switch to strong safety.
Porter Jr. is one of the top prospects, regardless of position, as we look ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft. A former four-star recruit out of North Allegheny Senior High School in Pennsylvania, Porter emerged as one of the nation's best cornerbacks over his four-year career in State College. He saved his best campaign for last, racking up 11 pass breakups while earning All-America honors in 2022.
Below is a comprehensive draft profile for Porter, including his scouting report, prospect ranking, pro comparison, combine results, college and high school accolades and overall NFL outlook.
NFL Draft grade: A+
"Exceptionally long, man-coverage corner. Play is a bit up and down, but his highs are All-Pro caliber. Athletic and plus ball skills. Exactly what the Steelers need." - Chris Trapasso
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Joey Porter Jr. draft profile
- Age: 22
- Hometown: Bakersfield, California
- Interesting fact: His father, Joey Porter, played 13 seasons for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals
- CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 12 overall | No. 4 CB | 89.73 rating (Long-term starter)
NFL combine measurements/results
Height: 6-2 1/2" | Weight: 193 lbs | Arms: 34" | Hands: 10"
- 40-yard dash: 4.46 seconds
- Broad jump: 10 feet, 9 inches
- Vertical jump: 35 inches
- Bench press: 17 reps
NFL comparison
Scouting report
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.
Strengths
- Very competitive
- Great length to play on the boundary
- Does a good job staying in-phase up the boundary
- Competitive at the catch point
Weaknesses
- Just one interception in four seasons
- Tackling in space needs to improve
- Physical with wide receivers downfield, which could result in penalties
College stats, accolades
Year | Games | Tackles | TFLs | PD | INT |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 10 | 27 | 0.0 | 11 | 0 |
2021 | 13 | 50 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 |
2020 | 8 | 33 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 |
2019 | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
Honors
- 2022: Second-team All-American (CBS Sports, AFCA, AP, FWAA, Walter Camp Football Foundation)
- 2022: First-team All-Big Ten (coaches, media, AP)
- 2022: Team MVP
Notable statistics
- 2022 (vs. Purdue): Set school record for single-game pass breakups (six); second-most in FBS for the season
247Sports profile
High school: North Allegheny (Wexford, Pennsylvania)
Class: 2019
Composite Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0.8969)
- National: 324 | CB: 33 | Pennsylvania: 4
High school accolades: First-team All-USA Pennsylvania Football (USA Today), first-team Class 6A all-state (Pennsylvania Football Writers), first-team Big 56 all-conference
Check out Joey Porter's full 247Sports profile, here. For his MaxPreps profile, click here.