Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, many thought the Pittsburgh Steelers would end up with Joey Porter Jr. when it was all said and done. It made too much sense for both sides, particularly the team's need for a young cornerback to have for the long-term. Well, he did end up in Pittsburgh after the weekend, just not how everyone thought he would. Anyone who thought he was going to end up in Pittsburgh had him being selected with the 17th overall pick.
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Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. will be expected to play a huge role in the team's secondary in 2023.
The Steelers traded up to select offensive tackle Broderick Jones, all but ending the chances for the Penn State cornerback. Or at least some thought. Four cornerbacks were picked in Thursday's first round, none of which were Porter. With the first pick in the second round, that left the Steelers with an easy choice to make. While they received several calls about trading the pick, the value of Porter being there at No. 32 made them stay put.
Former Steelers running back and team scout, Merril Hoge, appeared on Cam Heyward's podcast Not Just Football shortly after the selection. In his appearance, he made it clear that the team is ecstatic to have landed Porter. As expected, Porter was one of the team's highest-rated corners in this year's class.
"He was a first-round grade. There was three corners that had first-round grades, [and] those other guys went before Joey, but he was in our top first-round echelon. In a way, we were fortunate, if you think of the value."
Credit: Steelers YouTube page
Former Steelers running back Merril Hoge has grown into an influential role within the organization as a scout.
Now, one can assume who those three cornerbacks were, as Porter was supposedly one of them. Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez were almost certainly the other ones, as they were the consensus top-two CB's by everyone in the industry. When the Steelers originally traded up to No. 14, some thought it was for Gonzalez who was still on the board.
Did Steelers make the right selections in 2023 NFL Draft?
Somehow, he fell to the New England Patriots with the 17th pick, the selection acquired in the trade with the Steelers. With this assumption, the Steelers organization likely had Porter ranked higher than Emmanuel Forbes and Deonte Banks. Banks was a guy that was specifically mocked to Pittsburgh a ton in the pre-draft process, particularly because of his University of Maryland connection.
Forbes ended up going earlier than expected, as the Washington Commanders took him 16th overall over Gonzalez and Banks. Those were the four cornerback names that were called before Porter, but that group of five separated themselves from the rest of the guys. Now, Porter will be able to learn from a veteran like Patrick Peterson in Pittsburgh.
What are your expectations for Porter in the NFL? Do you think he will start right away with Peterson and Levi Wallace in the fold? Do you think Gonzalez and Witherspoon were the other CBs that they had first-round grades on? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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