Steelers Host Joey Porter Jr. for Pre-Draft Visit
The Pittsburgh Steelers top brass missed last week’s Penn State pro day, but that doesn’t mean they’re missing out on a chance to evaluate top Nittany Lions prospect Joey Porter Jr. up close and in person.
With head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan back in Pittsburgh after their week-long excursion to the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, the Steelers hosted Porter for an official pre-draft visit on Thursday.
Because Porter played locally, he does not count against the team’s maximum of 30 pre-draft visitors to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
The Steelers also had a formal meeting with Porter at the 2023 NFL Combine and sent defensive backs coach Grady Brown, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and assistant general manager Andy Weidl to Porter’s pro day in State College.
Of course, the Steelers are no stranger to Porter, whose father played for the team from 1999-06 and was a coach from 2014-18. The North Allegheny product also trained with 2Tenths Speed and Conditioning right in the Steelers’ indoor practice facility, so there should be no lack of familiarity between the Steelers and one of the top corners in the 2023 NFL Draft Class.
The 6-foot-2, 194-pound Porter is generally considered to be third-best cornerback prospect in the loaded 2023 NFL Draft class, behind Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez and Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon.
NFL Mock Draft Database currently considers Porter likely to be just out of the Steelers’ reach as the 12th-best prospect, most likely to be taken by the New England Patriots at No. 14 overall.
Porter loves the idea about staying at home in Pittsburgh.
“It would probably mean a lot for me and my family,” he said at the combine. “I’ve been in the Pittsburgh area for a while now, so staying in the Pittsburgh area, home, it would mean a lot.”
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