It has been a couple weeks since the Steelers finished up their minicamp portion of the pre-season process. Normally, this time of year is not expected to have much influence in terms of who will make the final 53-man roster come the tail end of summertime. One thing that is consistent with those that perform well at minicamp is their ability to translate that to training camp.
Football in shorts does not win championships unless you are on a flag football team. That is not the business that the Steelers are in, and these players will show their worth once pads come on during practices in Latrobe. A couple players have stood out thus far and could carry that over into the remainder of the pre-season and beyond.
A top pick in the draft started to make some noise in minicamp
Everyone has been paying close attention to Joey Porter Jr. ever since the Steelers used their top second round pick on him. He was a great value at that point in the draft and it should lead to a solid starter at cornerback for this defense. His family history with Pittsburgh is always going to keep the pressure on this player. That just comes with the nature of being in a football family.
Porter will be starting week one, barring some setbacks that many do not see happening. He has been working after practice with Patrick Peterson to try and get some tips on his technique. Learning from a veteran that could be a Hall of Famer some day is a smart idea to follow through on. Porter should be one of the best corners this season.