Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 season is getting underway after the team finished above .500 but failing to make the postseason last year, we turn our attention to the next chapter of Steelers football and everything that entails. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on more specific contexts as we get into the season, reflecting more immediate plusses and minus rather than trends over long periods. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: CB Joey Porter Jr.
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The rookie cornerback has largely held his own through everything that the Steelers have thrown at him, including their two best weapons: WRs Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Porter has continued to acclimate better on a daily basis with Thursday being perhaps his best day, finishing off the first-team two-minute drill with a diving interception of QB Kenny Pickett, followed by another fine showing during Friday Night Lights.
It’s probably about time that we do one for the Steelers’ top defender in the draft, no? Especially after he ended a two-minute drill against the first-team offense with an impressive interception of Kenny Pickett on Thursday.
While he’s had his knocks while being repeatedly tested against the best the skill positions have to offer, particularly his battles with second-year WR George Pickens, he’s efforted to give as much as he gets—both in deed and in word. Unsurprisingly, the son of Peezy can jaw, so if he gets a football in his face after a player makes a big catch on him, well, that’s the price of doing business that way.
He knows it, and outwardly he certainly seems to be cool with it. Not that he really has a choice one way or another. If anything, it merely reinforces the mindset every defensive back needs to have: whether good or bad, move on to the next play.
Outside of the viral highlight-reel grab by Pickens and a smattering of typical plays here and there, Porter has just gotten better and better, going back to the start of OTAs. All you can ask for from a young player is to be a guy “on the ascent”, to use a Tomlinism. His arrow is certainly pointing up.
And it’s feeling increasingly likely that he will be the opening-day starter if things keep unfolding in the manner that they have. Not just “start” but be an every-down defender. I know it’s still early and we haven’t even seen him in a stadium yet, but just from afar, he strikes you as a professional who is very much ready for the moment, mentally and physically.
It just feels like the next month or so is the process of getting him ready for his inevitable role of immediate starter. This is the part where Sylvester Stallone is punching frozen meat and running up stairs and chasing chickens and stuff. You know what comes after that. But this is going to be a long montage while we wait.
