Steelers Rookie Joey Porter Jr. Picks Raiders WR Davante Adams As His Toughest Guard Yet

Over the last month, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has established himself as a full-time starter on defense. Not only that, but he has immediately become the team's best cornerback in a talented room. He's been tasked with guarding opposing teams' No. 1 wideouts over the past few weeks. It started in Week 9 when he convinced the coaching staff to let him shadow Tennessee Titans star, DeAndre Hopkins.

Porter passed the test with flying colors with Hopkins' impact limited throughout the contest. The Titans wideout finished with just four catches for 60 yards in the Thursday Night Football bout. The rookie has faced some impressive wide receivers in his first season, but there's one guy that stands out. In an appearance on The Richard Sherman Podcast, Porter answered who has been his toughest guard in 2023 thus far.

"Probably Davante Adams. He [is] nice. I didn't figure him out until like the third quarter probably. I was like, okay I got what you're trying to do, but it took me awhile. I'm like I ain't falling for that and then you're falling for it for the majority of the game. He's good."

Adams, of the Las Vegas Raiders, tore up the Steelers secondary in Week 3. While the Steelers ended up getting the victory, it didn't come easy. Porter wasn't quite a full-time starter in that game just yet, as he played just 27 (37.5%) snaps. Regardless of who was guarding him, Adams had his way. He finished the game with 13 catches for 172 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The six-time Pro Bowler is widely regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.

Adams has had a down season with the Raiders, but that's been largely due to the incompetent quarterback play, rather than his own deficiencies. When discussing top wideouts in the game, cornerbacks and wide receivers around the league oftentimes mention Adams' name. He's become an elite route runner, which was something that Sherman and Porter were discussing. 

Did The Steelers Wait Too Long To Play Porter Jr.?

Perhaps Adams could have been slowed down a little bit if the Steelers played Porter more in that contest. The coaching staff has been deliberate in their usage of the second-rounder this season. The rookie wasn't even named a full-time starter until the end of October. They wanted to ease Porter into things, which will probably benefit him in the long run. Particularly, they were concerned about his tackling deficiencies, but his coverage skills are just too good to ignore.

Pro Football Focus has loved Porter's game this season, as he ranks 29th out of 120 qualifying cornerbacks with a 70.9 overall grade. He's been far better than the other cornerbacks on the team, specifically veterans Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace. Porter has still been able to learn a lot from those two in his first season in the league. He referenced the fact that Sherman and Peterson were the two cornerbacks that he used to watch growing up.

Porter also discussed the talent of fellow teammate George Pickens and his ability to make ridiculous catches. The two had some heated battles back at training camp in Latrobe, which certainly helped the two young players. Iron sharpens iron, and those battles seem to have helped Porter against opposing wideouts this season. The Steelers may have a star in the making at cornerback.

How do you think the rookie second-rounder has performed in his first season? Should the Steelers have Porter continue to shadow the opposing teams' best wide receivers? Should the team have started him earlier in the season? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

#SteelerNation