The Pittsburgh Steelers' front office has been looking to make the team younger and better, as well as try to adapt to the modern game. One way that they have done this is target cornerbacks that specialize in man coverage. They have three rookie cornerbacks on the team that are built for what they believe is perfect for the new-age defense. One of them is injured, one of them is a developmental piece, and the other is doing nothing but proving the team right. The future is now in Pittsburgh.
AP
Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. attempts to knock out the ball during a team practice.
Steelers Found Their CB1 For The Next Decade
Joey Porter Jr. did not start a game until after the bye week, but ever since he's come onto the scene, he's been a lockdown press corner. He does not have many of the sexy stats, but he does his job, and he does it very well. While he does tend to struggle in zone coverage, he has locked down nearly every receiver he has faced while in man coverage.
His biggest weakness has been his run defense and tackling ability. That has mostly been fixed, as he has only missed three tackles all season long. He is already proving to be a top cornerback in the league. You don't need interceptions or batted balls when the opposing quarterback refuses to throw the ball your way, and quarterbacks don't like to target Porter already.
Steelers.com
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. picks off Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, beating Odell Beckham Jr. to the ball.
Joey Porter Jr. Deserves More Respect
On Undisputed, Richard Sherman was naming off playmakers in the Steelers' defense. Michael Irvin cut him off to talk about Porter, as well as the respect that everyone else should give him at this point.
"[Joey Porter Jr.] is in that Defensive Rookie of the Year [conversation]. Joey Porter Jr. should be in that Defensive ROY. He's playing very well."
Of course, the league won't give Porter the award due to his lack of stats overall, but he has to at least be in the conversation. His season is similar to Steven Nelson's 2019 campaign with the team, when he put up numbers similar to the Defensive Player of the Year. Shutting down top receivers all year long is not an easy task. It's even harder to make a play on the ball when the ball never goes your way as well.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Following the blowout against his former team, Texans cornerback Steven Nelson took a shot at the Steelers for seemingly moving on from him rather quickly.
Sherman continued down Irvin's train of thought, talking about Porter's dynamic play against some of the best receivers in the league.
"No question, no question, he's played really well down the stretch. They trust him against teams' number one receivers throughout this season since he's been a starter, so I think [Bills vs. Steelers]'s gonna be closer than 10 points, no question."
The Steelers do have a very tough game against the Buffalo Bills coming up. Even without TJ Watt, the Steelers have a chance to shut down the passing game. If Porter can lock Stefon Diggs down throughout the game like he's done to other receivers all year long, the Steelers might have that edge. It also helps that Gabriel Davis might be forced to miss this game with an injury.
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Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson tried to tackle Stefon Diggs during a Week 14 regular season game in 2020.
This is only the beginning for Porter. He got embarrassed during training camp repeatedly, but as they say, iron sharpens iron. He has gone from getting mossed by his teammate to allowing no separation for the receivers that he is locked in with. As long as Porter keeps developing, he will be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, if he's not already in that conversation.
What do you think about Michael Irvin and Richard Sherman's comments on Joey Porter Jr.? Do you think he deserves to win Defensive Rookie of the Year? Does he need more respect? Let us know in the comments.
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