While fans and the media are dialed in to see how the Pittsburgh Steelers will address the wide receiver position this offseason, the team quietly has a pressing need at cornerback. Joey Porter Jr. looks like a true building block for the future, and as such, a massive contract extension could be coming his way. But as for the rest of the group... It's looking grim.
Asante Samuel Jr. and James Pierre are both unrestricted free agents who are free sign with other teams. Meanwhile, the Steelers moved a 31-year-old Jalen Ramsey to free safety early in the season. This leaves just Brandin Echols as the only servicable option to aid Porter at the position.
But Porter's perfect compliment is sitting in free agency, ready for the Steelers to pounce—Eric Stokes.
Stokes, a first-round pickoff the Packers in 2021, spent his first four seasons in Green Bay before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders on a one-year deal in 2025. While other free-agent cornerbacks on the market this year could be more sought after, Stokes would be the perfect pairing with Porter.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should pair free-agent CB Eric Stokes with Joey Porter Jr.
Stokes didn't get a lot of love from the media ahead of free agency. This is perhaps because his performance early in his career with the Packers still leaves a sour taste in the mouths of fans. However, the talented cornerback rewrote the script with a sneaky-good season in 2025.
Though Stokes hasn't recorded an interception since his rookie season, he showcased sticky coverage in man and in zone last season. Stokes started 16 games and played 1,037 snaps, yet he only allowed 28 receptions on 50 targets for a mere 261 yards and 1 touchdown all season, per Pro Football Focus. This was good for just a 77.2 passer rating allowed on the year.
Interestingly, this was remarkably similar to Porter's advanced stats last year (962 total snaps, 32 receptions allowed on 67 targets, 325 yards allowed, 55.9 passer rating allowed).
And there's reason to believe this isn't just a one-off performance from Stokes in 2025.
As a former first-round talent, the tools have always been there. At his Georgia Pro Day in 2021, Stokes measured in at 6' 1/2'' and 194 pounds with 32 3/4'' arms and a 78'' wingspan, per DraftScout.com. He proceeded to run a blazing 4.31 40-yard dash while posting a 38'' vertical jump and a 6.96 3-cone drill.
Thanks to his outstanding speed and athletic traits, there's no reason to expect Stokes to start slowing down anytime soon. The free-agent cornerback turned 27 years old on March 1, and he could still have his best football ahead of him.
It's also worth noting that Stokes' best NFL season in 2025 came with Patrick Graham as his defensive coordinator in Las Vegas. Now that Graham is in Pittsburgh, the Steelers could pursue this talented cornerback with ties to his former DC.
It's hard enough for opposing offenses to have one physical, lockdown cornerback to throw against, so landing a Joey Porter Jr. clone in free agency could make it hard for opposing teams' top wideouts to operate.
Stokes and Porter have some of the same weaknesses as well. Both players have been criticized for being a bit stiff at times. And with below-average ball skills, neither cornerback is ever going to take the ball away frequently. Thankfully, penalties have not been an issue for Stokes, who has committed just eight penalties in his first five seasons (two in 2025).
If the Pittsburgh Steelers want to impose their will on passing offenses in the secondary, this is a great place to start. Eric Stokes would be a prototype pairing on Graham's defense with Porter.