What Could Steelers' New Determined Cornerback Look Like In His Rookie Year?

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the 2023 NFL Draft needing a top-tier cornerback, and they left with one of the best ones. Joey Porter Jr. was selected in the second round and will now form a great tandem with free agent addition Patrick Peterson. How will Porter look in his first year in the NFL?

Porter will start the season as Pittsburgh's number two cornerback, but will more than likely garner CB1 looks throughout the year. He will play most of his snaps on the outside, opposite Peterson. With his incredible physical presence, the Steelers could also look to bring him up closer to the line here and there. He will primarily dominate in press coverage and be an incredibly reliant tackler. 

While Porter's college stats aren't eye-popping, he was one of the most consistent cornerbacks in all of college football during his four years. Everyone wants the next Sauce Gardner, but he set such a high, and hard-to-replicate bar with his rookie season last year. With that said, Porter's stat line could have the best chance at coming close to what the New York Jets cornerback did his rookie year.

Gardner had an incredible rookie season, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year and All-Pro honors. We may never see that from a rookie cornerback again, but could Porter come close? Gardner stood out with an NFL-leading 20 passes defended. Porter shares some of the physical press skills as Gardner, which helped him rack up eight passes defended in his final year at Penn State. With almost twice the number of games in an NFL season, we can expect him to easily achieve double digits and push toward that 20 mark.

Not only does Porter have great coverage skills, but he also comes with great tackling ability. He put up 51 total tackles in 2021, 40 of which were solo. The biggest knock to Porter is his interception count, only picking off the quarterback once in his four years. While that is low, Porter has good ball skills and a knack for breaking up passes consistently. This is where he has the chance to mirror Gardner's 2022 stat line, where he only managed two interceptions. 

Porter is close to elite at playing short routes while in press man-to-man. With his sticky coverage, it is very hard to complete quick slants on him. Not only will he like to continue what his dad did in Pittsburgh, but Porter looks to be extremely motivated after not going in the first round. The Steelers very well could have found their franchise number-one cornerback in the 23' draft. 

How Will The Steelers Use Porter?

It seems pretty realistic that Pittsburgh will just throw Porter on one side of the field and let him lock down whoever is in front of him. Porter spent more time on the left side at Penn State, primarily matching up with bigger receivers. Expect that to continue in Pittsburgh, giving safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Damontae Kazee more freedom to roam, knowing that Porter more than likely has the left side covered.

Could that be too much to expect from Porter in his first year? Possibly, but he had reps vs NFL receivers in college and showed that he can handle them. Mike Tomlin might slowly work him into his main role as he does with most rookies, but if anyone can hold his own, it would be Porter. 

2023 Stats Projection: 17 Games Played, 66 Total Tackles, 48 Solo Tackles, 1.5 Sacks, 2 Interceptions, 14 Passes Defended

How do you think Joey Porter Jr. will do in his rookie year? Let us know in the comments below.

#SteelerNation