Penn State's Joey Porter Jr selected in second round by Pittsburgh Steelers
On Friday night, Penn State's Joey Porter Jr was selected in the second round at No. 32 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let's take a look back at how Joey Porter Jr. got to where he is today.
His Recruitment:
Porter Jr. signed with Penn State as part of their 2019 recruiting class after being a three-star recruit out of North Allegheny in Pittsburgh. The son of Pittsburgh Steelers legendary linebacker Joey Porter, Porter Jr. wasn't a hugely heralded prospect coming out of North Allegheny. He had 20 scholarship offers including Arizona State, Boston College, Cincinnati, LSU, Maryland, Miami (FL), Nebraska, Pittsburgh, UCF, and West Virginia. He was the 52nd-ranked cornerback in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 11 prospect in the Pennsylvania rankings.
Here's what Adam Gorney had to say in his look back at Joey Porter Jr. earlier this week.
"When it comes to Porter and memories, there aren’t a ton of memories from his high school days because he wasn’t on the national scene much.
Porter, whose father was a four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, only attended a couple of camps during his high school days and really never got thrown at much in the Pittsburgh suburbs so the evaluation process was difficult with him.
We tended to lean a little more conservative which ended up being a mistake since he’s a potential first-rounder but at the time there just wasn’t much to go on. There were also questions about whether he would stay at defensive back or grow much bigger like his father who was 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds during his playing days.
Other than that, there were some issues with being too handsy with receivers and concerns about his overall athletic ability but many of those have been answered over the last few years at Penn State.
There’s no doubt that Porter has blossomed a lot in the last few years in college. Yes, he had picks in high school but many from his senior season highlight tape were poorly thrown balls that he stepped in front of. At Penn State, he did a great job in coverage, pressed receivers to the sidelines, and then had the length to knock passes away across the middle."
At Penn State
Porter Jr. entered his Penn State career in 2019 and would play in his allotted four games as a true freshman, recording his first career pass breaks up and tackles. In his brief time on the field, the Pittsburgh native would begin to show flashes of what was to come in the years following.
As a redshirt freshman, Porter Jr. broke onto the scene in the Big Ten, earning All-Big Ten third-team honors from the media and was an honorable mention by the coaches. That season, he played in eight games, recording 33 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and one sack while breaking up four passes.
The 2021 season was really the season where he began to show the makings of a future first-round pick. He was phenomenal throughout the season recording 51 tackles, one forced fumble, one interception, and four pass breakups. Despite a strong year from start to finish, Big Ten coaches named him just a third-team All-Big Ten selection while the media gave him an honorable mention.
This past season, however, there were very few defensive backs better in the country. He was a second-team All-American by the AFCA, Associated Press, FWAA, Walter Camp Football Foundation, and CBS Sports and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection from both the coaches and media as well. On the year, he played in 10 games and was rarely targeted but still totaled 27 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and one fumble recovery.
Overall, each year at Penn State, Porter Jr got better and better. His coverage skills were already good as a true freshman, but he would quickly become one of the best cornerbacks in the nation once he began to see consistent playing time. He also was a quality against the run throughout his time and was a sound tackler.
What is ____ getting in Joey Porter Jr?
Here is what Happy Valley Insider's EJ Daniels had to say about Porter Jr in his scouting report and player comparison.
"As one of the top cover covers in the Draft, specifically in man coverage, Porter, Jr.'s uncanny frame allows him to consistently alter the catch point. He also showcases above average ball skills and instincts.
One of the most physical covers in this year's class, he's very effective with using his one-arm stab to reroute wide receivers and has the adequate speed to mirror his man. He's especially tough when playing routes down the field as he’s able to get his head around and uses his length to disrupt the ball at the catch point as forced 12 incompletions in 2022. Lastly, he’s a willing tackler when playing downhill in zone and shows flashes of being a solid run defender on the edge."
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