The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Joey Porter Jr with the first pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Penn State cornerback was linked to the Steelers at pick #17 for virtually the entire mock draft season and Mike Tomlin was all smiles in the draft room when the pick was sent to the podium. Porter was raised in the Steelers’ locker room, and it was only fitting that they stopped his slide with pick #32.
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Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin press conference
Porter is going to have an opportunity to earn his way onto the field according to the Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin who took questions from the media shortly after the pick was made official. Austin was asked if Patrick Peterson’s presence as a potential mentor could affect the rookie’s development in his first year in the NFL.
“I think that’s really good,” Austin began. “When I first got to Detroit, we had Darius Slay going into his second year and Rashean Mathis as a veteran corner. That dynamic was outstanding for both of them. The young guy keeps the older guy loose, and the older guy gives his knowledge to the young guy. If the young guy is willing to take it, there is a great dynamic there.”
Mathis and Slay were a formidable duo for Austin when he was the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Mathis was an excellent player in the NFL, but Peterson is a future Hall of Famer. If Peterson can impart his knowledge about how to conduct your career on and off the field, then Porter is going to be a special addition to the Steelers' secondary.
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“Everybody knows what kind of guy Pat P is,” Austin continued. "Joey is a great young man and those two guys working together along with the other guys in our room and Grady (Brown), it is going to be good. He is going to be an environment that gives him the opportunity to succeed.”
Peterson has been in the NFL since 2011 and was a first-team All-Pro as a rookie. He began his career with eight consecutive Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro nods. Peterson and Porter are almost identical in size and are both physical players. Peterson had elite speed coming into the NFL, but Porter has great length and is an exceptional press cornerback. Omar Khan, Andy Weidl and Tomlin could not have chosen more perfectly than the veteran cornerback for the Penn State product.
Steelers Joey Porter Jr Gets His Wish On Draft Night Of Having Patrick Peterson As A Mentor
Porter played on the outside almost exclusively during his college career so it will be interesting to see if he transitions inside initially or if the veteran Peterson will allow Levi Wallace and Porter to play outside when they are on the field together in nickel and dime packages. The versatility of the veteran Pro Bowl corner should smooth Porter’s transition to the NFL and allow Austin to put him in the best possible position to succeed when he is on the field.
Porter and Peterson’s presence as outstanding big press corners should allow a fierce Steelers pass rush led by a full season of TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith working in tandem to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. Porter’s presence should be most keenly effective against the Cincinnati Bengals when they match up with Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. Pressing the Bengals’ dynamic duo at receiver should allow the Steelers to get home and force Joe Burrow into the kind of poor decisions that led to an opening-day victory in 2022.
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What do you think Steeler Nation? Are you happy about the pairing of Porter and Peterson? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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