When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted CB Joey Porter Jr. in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, many thought they were getting a steal relative to the value of landing Porter with their second pick. The expectation was that Porter would be Pittsburgh’s first-round draft choice due to the need at cornerback and the obvious ties to the team, being that his father Joey Porter Sr. won a Super Bowl with the Steelers as a Pro Bowl edge rusher.
However, Pittsburgh traded up in the first round and got OT Broderick Jones 14th overall, bypassing taking Porter at No. 17. Porter slid out of the first round altogether — and right into Pittsburgh’s lap with the top pick in the second round.
While Porter is expected to have an instant impact in the secondary for Pittsburgh this season, his current odds of winning Defensive Rookie of the Year this season aren’t the best compared to other highly drafted players from his class. Ryan Reynolds of the 33rd Team recently published a piece detailing the betting odds for NFL DROY, naming Porter a mid-range long shot for the award, currently sitting at +2500 odds.
“Outside of Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary has more questions than reliable answers,” Reynolds wrote for the 33rd Team. “That will likely thrust Joey Porter Jr. into a starting role. Porter’s DROY path would require splash plays (interceptions, sacks, forced fumbles) more than consistently strong coverage.”
The DROY award is normally given to the top rookie pass rusher as it’s more common for a rookie to rack up 10 or more sacks than a rookie defensive back to pick off five or more passes in a season. New York Jets CB Sauce Gardner walked away with the award last year after making the Pro Bowl and earning first-team All-Pro honors after what was a dominant season for him in coverage. Before Gardner, the last cornerback to win the award was Marshon Lattimore back in 2017, a season where he picked off five passes, returning one to the house, while logging 18 pass deflections.
Porter wasn’t known for displaying exceptional ball skills during his time at Penn State, but he has showcased a nose for the football during training camp and the preseason, intercepting a pass against the Buffalo Bills in his preseason debut Week Two after missing Week One with an injury. He also snagged a couple of interceptions during training camp practices, suggesting that his lack of production in college taking away the football was more circumstantial than sticky as a skill.
Alex Kozora gave Porter a B+ grade for his training camp performance, but he had moments where he was shaky against the Falcons last Thursday in coverage. Regardless, Porter’s ranking by Reynolds seems fair given the fact that he will have to be a full-time starter with CBs Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace also in the room as starters and will likely have to post five or more interceptions to be a legit contender for the award.
With other defensive rookies like EDGE Will Anderson, DL Jalen Carter, and CB Devon Witherspoon having their own strong cases for the award, Porter needs to earn the playing time first and foremost and then make the most of that opportunity, providing consistent coverage while coming up with splash plays for Pittsburgh’s defense.
