The Pittsburgh Steelers finally closed the door on the Joey Porter Jr. chapter. Late Wednesday night, the Steelers traded Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.
After months of chatter and speculation, Pittsburgh finally made a decision. Porter Jr.'s departure leaves a hole in the secondary, but rookie cornerback Daylen Everette could reap the rewards.
Daylen Everette will get a chance to carve out a role with Joey Porter Jr. gone
Everette was drafted in the third round in the 2026 NFL Draft. Things started slowly for him in Weeks 1 and 2, logging nine total snaps. Yet, last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, he played a season-high 26 snaps.
The coaching staff decided to bench Asante Samuel Jr. in the fourth quarter in favor of the rookie. Throwing him out there against an offense with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at receiver is a tall task, but Everette didn't look overwhelmed. In that outing, he allowed two catches (three targets) for 22 yards and a pass breakup.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette then revealed that the coaching staff wasn't happy with Samuel Jr., and Everette was a player who made plays going back to the spring.
"And it wasn’t just because he’s a better matchup. I go back to the spring, I go back to training camp, the Steelers have told me all along, he was the best-looking rookie that they had," Dulac said.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham also stated that leading up to the game against the Bengals, Everette had a great week of practice and even caught some interceptions.
Seeing him do that gave them confidence to throw him into the fire. Of course, there will be learning curves. He's still a young player who will need to gain valuable reps in the NFL to continue his growth. There will be times when fans and coaches will need to be patient with him, but the tools are there.
He has great size at 6-foot-1, 196 pounds. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Everette ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, putting his speed on display. The Georgia product is a big, tall, and fast cornerback. He's a smooth athlete and started 41 games with the Bulldogs during his collegiate career.
With Jamel Dean locking down one starting role, the spot opposite him is now up for grabs. Samuel Jr. hasn't blown anyone away, and he might even be asked to play some slot snaps. Jalen Ramsey has a broken wrist, so his status going forward is up in the air. If he does miss time, Samuel Jr. may jump into the slot, giving Everette the runway at the boundary corner spot.
There's no denying that Porter Jr. was the Steelers' best corner, but with him gone, they will need someone else to step up, and that guy could end up being Everette.
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