2023 NFL Draft Profile: Joey Porter Jr.

Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. enters the 2023 NFL draft with a wealth of experience. While many will point to his renowned family lineage, the fact that he has played in 31 games in the Big Ten may be more appealing.

Coming out of North Allegheny High School (PA.), Porter was a three-star recruit from Rivals.com. This high school, which neighbored Pittsburgh, put immense pressure for him to honor his namesake. Yet, he was up for the task. Porter helped guide his team to a 10-1 record and a Quad County Conference Class 6A title as a senior. He ended his time at North Allegheny as a first-team All-USA Pennsylvania Football Team member.

As a freshman at Penn State, he played four games, making him one of 19 true freshman to do so. He followed this 2020 campaign with two consecutive seasons as a third team All-Big Ten member, starting 21 games over the next two seasons.

However, his redshirt junior season is where he truly received national acclaim. He started 10 games (missing two games with appendicitis) and became a second team All-American. He was also named first-team All-Big Ten by the Associated Press. He ended the season with 27 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. He is known for being one of the premier press-man corners in this draft class and is expected to be a first-round pick.

Throughout the season, his name was often linked to the Jim Thorpe and Chuck Bednarik awards, which celebrates the best defensive back and best overall defensive player in the country, respectively.

Strengths

Tantalizing Length/Frame: At 6’2 1/2″, Porter Jr. has the ideal size to match up against larger NFL receivers. Gifted with a 34″ wingspan, the former Nitanny Lion can generate punch along the line of scrimmage and can disrupt wide receivers as they begin their route. Vertically, he has the straight-line speed to maintain pace with receivers as they run down the field, and he can recover for any deficits he may face with his length. His long reach allows for easy pass break-ups and a harder radius for quarterbacks to navigate. Making his upside appealing at the next level.

High IQ and Experience: While at State College, Porter was a three-year starter, providing him with a wealth of experience. He parlayed this into an exceptional junior year in which he forced a 40% incompletion rate, which led all Power Five cornerbacks. Quarterbacks were afraid to test him, and he was only targeted 30 times his final year at PSU. He limited his opponents to 15 receptions against, and a passer rating of 63.6.

The Ability to High Point: With his height and length, Porter has the ability to disrupt and dislodge the ball from opposing wide receivers. He isn’t afraid to back down from a challenge, and would be a vital piece to deploy in the red zone. Opposing wide receivers will struggle to compete with Porter in jump ball situations. Confined in a tight space, Porter has the advantage in high point situations.

Weaknesses

Scheme dependency: Although Porter Jr. is an exceptional press-man corner, he may be limited. While at Penn State, he did not travel with number one WRs and would remain at the right cornerback position. He almost exclusively “played up” on wide receivers, and did not show a variation in coverages. As a projected first-round pick, you would like to see more diversity and transferrable skills. Also, considering his build, he is not as fluid as some of his peers in class. As a high-hipped athlete, his change of direction is merely adequate, and he may struggle playing off-coverage at the pro level.

Run Support: Of the four games I observed (Purdue, Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana), it appeared that Porter Jr. made business decisions when putting his nose in run support. I won’t declare that he has a “low-motor” but I was unimpressed with his tenacity in pursuit.  After an impressive debut against Purdue, in which he had eight tackles, his film began to fade as willful tackler.  Over his next five games, he chipped in one, two, two, zero and three tackles respectively. With one of those games being against Michigan (7-0). I know corners are more regarded for their coverage prowess, but while watching game film, Maryland’s Deonte Banks and Michigan’s DJ Turner showed more persistence in run support.

Hand-fighting and Potential Penalties: Although Porter’s length and physicality is an asset, it may be an issue at the next level. He thrives at being physical at the point of attack, and he has no issue scrapping with his opponent. This leads to hand-fighting and the occasional tug of a jersey when falling behind a step. Although he was only assessed for three pass interference penalties last season, you can easily see an NFL official flagging Porter often.

Ideal Role

Perimeter Corner in a Man Coverage Scheme:  Porter Jr. is an intriguing prospect with ideal size at the cornerback position. He isn’t afraid to mix-it-up with wide receivers and play in the face of his opponents. His exceptional length and football IQ will be an asset for a team who employs his correctly. Considering he only played five plays in the slot last season, and 30 times throughout his collegiate career, he will undoubtedly play on the boundary for his NFL team.

Potential Fits

There are a variety of NFL teams in need of cornerback, but the idea is to match Porter Jr. with a team who will utilize his man-coverage skills most effectively. Considering he is likely a mid-to-late first round prospect, the New England Patriots (no. 14 pick), Pittsburgh Steelers (no.17) and the Detroit Lions (no.18) are all viable options to select the former Nitanny Lion. These teams have shown a tendency to exceed the league average of 30.6% man coverage plays throughout the season. The Patriots averaged man-coverage on 47.3% of their defensive snaps. The Lions and Steelers were right behind them with a rate of 44.1% and 41.3%, respectively. All three of these teams would benefit from the addition of Porter Jr. and would view him as a day-one starter.

-George Carmi is the Managing Editor of Full Press Commanders. He covers the Washington Commanders and provides Fantasy Football coverage for Full Press Fantasy. Like and follow George on twitter: @GCarmi21 and @FPC_Commanders.