Every parent is excited to see their son get drafted and begin their path to the NFL. But for Joey Porter, there’s probably one team he hopes his kid doesn’t go to. And Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is well aware of it.
During a pre-draft press conference Wednesday, Harbaugh joked about converting Porter Sr. by drafting his son, Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
“Seeing Joey Porter Sr., a Ravens fan, that’d be great for all of us,” Harbaugh said with a smile. “Family first, man. I’m going to give him a call and find out.”
Porter Jr. is considered one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s draft and a surefire first-round selection. The Ravens currently hold the 22nd pick and though the odds are good Porter is off the board by then, it’s plausible he slips a handful of spots. Of course, barring a trade, for the Ravens to take him at #22, the Steelers would have to pass on him at #17. So if Porter becomes a Raven, that’s Pittsburgh’s fault.
Porter played for the Steelers for the bulk of his career and was part of the fierce and hard-nosed rivalry with the Ravens throughout the 2000s.
On a more serious note, Harbaugh briefly talked about Porter Jr. as a prospect.
“Joey Porter Jr. is a heck of a player. And it’s not just him,” Harbaugh said. “There’s a lot of good corners…but this dude knows how to play. I love the way he plays. His style. He’s the Joey Porter Sr. version in DB form. He’s got a great mentality. So we’ll see what happens.”
With Marcus Peters still a free agent, Baltimore is likely to select a cornerback in this year’s draft. As Harbaugh alluded to, it’s a strong cornerback class with a ton of names who will be selected inside the top 50. At the top sits Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon, and Porter.
But following closely behind are the likes of South Carolina’s Cam Smith, Michigan’s DJ Turner, Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes, and Kansas State’s Julius Brents. But the Ravens finding a way to select Porter Jr. would be the ultimate troll move to his father and to all of Steelers’ Nation.
