One of the biggest stories on defense for the Pittsburgh Steelers on defense has been the remaking of the secondary. By and large, only perennial All-Pro FS Minkah Fitzpatrick remains as a mainstay, the only member of the secondary who has been here for more than two seasons (and the only starter for more than one).
The turnover at cornerback has been especially acknowledged, with future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson stepping in to replace Cameron Sutton, lost in free agency. He’s eagerly taken on a mentorship role with rookie 32nd overall pick Joey Porter Jr., and the two have been virtually inseparable.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen those two not together any time they’re out on the field”, OLB T.J. Watt told Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller on SiriusXM on their training camp program that aired yesterday during Friday Night Lights. “It’s really special to see those older guys take in the younger guys and not hold back information”.
“I think that’s a thing that he’s done really well”, he added, “and just seeing it from afar with him and Joey, they’re always exchanging information, whether it’s footwork or hand usage and things like that, so it’s been cool to see from afar”.
Now 33 years old, Peterson understands he’s seen many more years behind him than he will ahead of him as an NFL player. He has gone all in on working with Porter to set him up for the best possible future he can have, not just in the league generally, but also specifically in Pittsburgh.
While the old dog still has a very crucial on-field part to play, his mentorship of Porter should pay dividends both immediately and down the line. I think it’s a safe assumption that what he’s helping the rookie work on now will help him play sooner and better than he might have otherwise.
Peterson has lavished praise on Porter throughout the offseason. Back in June, he said of the rookie that he “has all the intangibles to be better than me”—which is saying something for an eight-time Pro Bowler and the NFL’s active leader in career interceptions. He also said he expects to see Porter on the field “early and quite often”.
Now more than a week into training camp, that’s really starting to look like a safe prediction. Porter has been getting a good deal of work with the first-team offense and staying competitive while doing it, winning his share of reps even with the lion’s share of his work seemingly coming against WRs George Pickens and Diontae Johnson.
Peterson even stays on the field with Porter after practice to work on things. He’s talked about how before every practice he asks the rookie what his focus is going to be on that day and gives him reminders while on the field. It’s been an undeniably enriching tutoring session for what the Steelers hope is their next great cornerback—and first great one drafted since Ike Taylor.
