Length, physicality, ball skills. All are key traits needed in today’s NFL at the cornerback position.
Fortunately for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they seem to have found one of those unicorns, that being rookie second-round pick Joey Porter Jr.
Though the ball skills are still a work in progress, Porter has the freakish size and length for the position that is turning heads in training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, including star pass rusher and 2021 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt.
Watt, appearing on the SiriusXM show “Movin’ The Chains” with co-hosts Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller, said he is blown away by the overall length of Porter.
“His hands are touching his stinking knees when he is walking. It’s incredible to see the length that he has,” Watt told Kirwan and Miller, according to audio via SiriusXM.com. “He’s already made a couple of really good plays for us in the past week.”
Watt wasn’t kidding when he said Porter’s hands touch his knees when he walks.
Coming out of Penn State, Porter’s arms were measured at 34 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine, an elite number for a pass rusher, let alone a cornerback. That length served Porter well throughout his time in State College, ultimately leading to him being one of the best cornerbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft class.
He is a long corner prospect twho best excels when he can play close to his competition in press-man situations. His length can be his greatest asset as he can contest passes in short areas as well as challenge bigger receivers in the red zone, and he has experience playing in off man as well as zone coverage. His selection filled an immediate need for the Steelers, and so far in training camp he’s off to a great start.
Porter’s great start to camp reached a high point on Thursday when he picked off second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett in the two-minute drill, jumping a route and getting his feet inbounds for the interception.
Porter’s been getting a lot of work in on the JUGS machine before every practice and is routinely among the first players on the practice field. That work has been paying off with multiple camp interceptions, and Porter is looking like every bit the player the Steelers thought they’d be getting when they stayed put to take him at the top of the second round.
He’s not only impressing coaches, he’s garnering attention from teammates like Watt. The length is real, and now the playmaking is coming.
