As the Pittsburgh Steelers move into 2023, there is a lot of optimism surrounding their young secondary. And it’s for good reason, as rookie cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. have impressed quite a few as they’ve gone through OTAs and minicamp.
The Steelers had a solid pass defense last season, raking about average in the league in yards against, and leading the NFL in interceptions. But in an AFC that is increasingly turning more and more pass-heavy, there is no such thing as too much depth in the secondary.
Enter Porter and Trice. Both were Steelers draft picks in April, and both could play a big role as soon as next season. However, cornerback is one of the tougher positional adjustments from college to the pros, and there will be some growing pains, both physically and mentally.
Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about how these two rookies have embraced the mental challenges of their first minicamp.
“They’re sharp guys, the type of institutions they went to, the caliber ball they played, it wasn’t much that we introduced to them schematically that they hadn’t already been exposed to.” Tomlin said via a team-provided transcript. “I think the what-to-do is less of an issue for them and they’re making the transitional things that most corners do, the nuances of the game in terms of contact beyond five yards and stuff like that. The difference between college ball and professional ball I think is kind of where a lot of the energy has been.”
Both guys have had and will continue to have different journeys in year one with Pittsburgh.
Of course, Joey Porter Jr. is the son of former Steeler legend Joey Porter and carries a bit more college pedigree. He was largely expected to be a first-round pick at the NFL draft, but the Steelers weren’t complaining when he fell to them at the first pick of the second round. He could see a Week One starter this season, but one thing he will have to work on to be effective is his physicality. It is good to hear that Tomlin is focusing on the rule changes with him, particularly contact beyond five yards. Porter struggled with penalties in college, and that’s a rookie mistake Tomlin would love to see him avoid.
For Trice, the situation is a little different. He fell in the draft as well, all the way to the seventh round. While he isn’t quite the caliber of prospect Porter is, he has a remarkable opportunity to make a Day One difference for this Pittsburgh team as a seventh-round pick. While he isn’t in the mix to be a starter quite the way Porter is, the cornerback depth chart provides him a real opportunity to contribute right away. While he will probably at least fight a bit for a roster spot like most seventh rounders do, he could potentially offer some great value for a guy taken on Day Three.
The cornerback corps went under some turnover this offseason, but it seems that the position is in good and young hands going forward. It will be exciting to see these two continue to grow at training camp.
