When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Joey Porter Jr. with the No. 33 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they thought they were getting a future No. 1 cornerback who could match up with the likes of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the division. Porter was a highly regarded prospect who fell to the second round despite being No. 9 on the consensus big board.
But through two seasons, the results have been very mixed for Porter. He was much better as a rookie than during his sophomore season, recording three fewer pass breakups despite playing nearly 200 more snaps.
Porter has never been a big ballhawk, but two total interceptions in two seasons haven’t been good enough. But there have been signs of elite play, and the Steelers are hopeful that he can get there with better secondary play around him.
So, where does Porter rank among the rest of the NFL cornerbacks heading into the year?
In a recent article by John Kosko of Pro Football Focus, he ranked the top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL heading into the 2025 season. Porter Jr. was on the list, coming in at No. 26 while his new teammate, Darius Slay, came in at No. 21. Here is what Kosko had to say about the former Penn State cornerback going into Year 3:
"Porter's 56.3 PFF coverage grade in 2024 doesn't look great, but his PFF advanced coverage grade is much better (21st across the past two seasons). Better on-ball production may be coming for the former first-round pick."John Kosko, Pro Football Focus
Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. has the skills to succeed (if he can cut back on penalties)
Porter’s overall grade was hurt by the fact that he had 16 penalties called against him (with a few being declined or offsetting). That was the knock on Porter coming out of Happy Valley, as he is a physical, aggressive cornerback who tends to get a bit too grabby when targeted. It's been a problem for his entire football career, and he won't be able to take the next step as a player until he solves his penalty problem.
However, Porter has done a good job of limiting opposing pass catchers, giving up just one total touchdown in his career, per Pro Football Reference. It’s worth noting that he has allowed a career passer rating of just 77.4, so if he can just cut back on the penalties, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he put together a Pro Bowl season sooner rather than later.
The good news for Pittsburgh is that Porter has been highly durable and has been matched up against some outstanding receivers over the last two seasons. The Steelers are hopeful that he can bounce back in Year 3 and become the Pro Bowl cornerback they’ve been desperately lacking on defense.
Porter turns 25 later this summer, but his best football might still be ahead of him if he can figure out a way to cut back on the penalties and create a few more takeaways. Expect Porter to have a much better season in 2025 as he heads into the most pivotal year of his football career.