The Pro Day train continues to roll toward the 2023 NFL Draft, and on Friday the Pittsburgh Steelers had a number of coaches and front-office personnel at Penn State’s Pro Day in Happy Valley, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
Assistant GM Andy Weidl, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, defensive backs coach Grady Brown, and tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts are in Happy Valley Friday, per Pryor, with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. the top prospect set to work out.
Along with Porter Jr., players like tight end Brenton Strange, safety Ji’Ayir Brown, defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, quarterback Sean Clifford, and wide receivers Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley are scheduled to work out in front of scouts and front-office personnel under Penn State head coach James Franklin.
Porter Jr., the son of former Steelers standout outside linebacker and outside linebacker coach Joey, continues to be connected to the Steelers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The franchise has clear need at the position, behind veteran free agent signee Patrick Peterson, and there are longstanding family ties to the organization.
With GM Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin at Alabama’s Pro Day yesterday, it’s not surprising that Weidl is leading the charge at Penn State Friday. Chances are, Khan and Tomlin are inSouth Bend for Notre Dame’s Pro Day, a common stop on Tomlin’s Pro Day tour in the past. There is also Boston College Pro Day today — Tomlin’s son, Dino, plays for BC — and NFL owners meetings are upcoming in Arizona, where Tomlin typically heads to as a member of the league’s competition committee.
Based on the Steelers’ draft history, with no Khan or Tomlin there, that could rule out Porter Jr. for the Steelers in the first round. However, it’s a new regime and a new way of operating. With Weidl there, along with Brown and Austin, they are very clearly getting a good look at Porter Jr.
We’ll see if anyone else pops up at the Penn State Pro Day regarding the Steelers throughout the day.
