Bud Dupree isn’t the only player in Pittsburgh today. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. is visiting the team today. Dulac tweeted the news a short time ago.
Porter is considered one of the best cornerbacks in this year’s class and his ties to the city are obvious. His father, Joey Porter Sr., was a Steelers outside linebacker and coach and has a close relationship with head coach Mike Tomlin, their sons growing up and playing high school football together.
Because Porter Jr. is from the area, it should be considered a local visit that doesn’t count against the team’s allotted 30 visits. Pittsburgh was well-represented at Penn State’s recent Pro Day, sending DC Teryl Austin and DB Coach Grady Brown, though neither nor Tomlin nor GM Omar Khan were in attendance. That’s likely due to the pair being in Arizona for the annual League Meetings, leaving them unable to personally attend the Nittany Lions’ workout. There’s been a long-standing correlation between the Steelers’ first-round pick and having the Steelers’ head coach and/or GM at their Pro Day. Bringing Porter in for a visit will be its substitute.
Porter is considered one of the top three corners in this year’s class and is a coin flip to still be around when Pittsburgh picks at #17. If he’s still on the board, he’ll be heavily considered. Though Porter is local, the Steelers have visits with several of this year’s top corners including Kansas State’s Julius Brents, Georgia’s Kelee Ringo, and Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes.
Follow along our Steelers’ pre-draft visit tracker for all the details of the names Pittsburgh’s bringing into the city.
Check out our full report on Porter Jr. below.
