What is the Ceiling for Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr? (+)
The Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 draft class paid immediate dividends for the franchise last season and Joey Porter Jr. was a massive part of that outcome. An unlikely fall to the second round, allowed the team to scoop up the son of a legend and insert him into a secondary that has been searching for a lockdown cornerback for quite some time. That slide likely put a massive chip on his shoulder and combined with the pressure of living up his father’s legacy, Porter delivered instant impact on a Steelers defense that finished eighth in points per drive allowed. Coming off a strong rookie campaign, it begs the question: what is his ceiling as a player?
For starters, Porter was very good when grading on the rookie curve. Here’s where Porter ranked in important coverage metrics among cornerbacks that saw at least 40 targets in their direction during the 2023 season: (via Sports Info Solutions)
-Completion Percentage- 38.5% (2nd)
-Yards Per Cover Snap- 0.5 (4th)
-Yards Per Attempt- 5.0 (4th)
-Passer Rating- 38.8 (2nd)
After starting the final 11 games of the season, Porter made the NFL All-Rookie team as voted on by the Pro Football Writers of America and finished tied for fifth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting among Associated Press panelists. Without surprise, Porter was also voted as the Steelers rookie of the year among their 2023 draft class. Even after all of those accolades, it seems like his rookie year is still somewhat underrated by the masses for whatever reason.
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