After the Pittsburgh Steelers selected CB Joey Porter Jr. with pick 32 of the 2023 NFL Draft, many people said they got a steal. Porter was initially projected to go in the teens, before falling to Pittsburgh at the start of the second round. Now, after Porter has had a strong training camp, questions are percolating about him possibly starting.
Following practice today, Porter was asked if he feels any pressure to be the starter come Week One. He said that he will try to force head coach Mike Tomlin’s hand with his play.
“I always come out here working to be the best guy, be CB1,” Porter said in an interview posted to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sports YouTube page. “But really that’s up to coach and if he feels like I’m ready or not, and I’m just gonna keep going outside showing him that I am.”
Strong play in practice and preseason will earn playing time, and while right now Porter isn’t a starter, it isn’t out of the question that he will be. So far, Porter has been really good in camp, but, as Tomlin would say, that’s just Steelers versus Steelers. After practicing against each other almost every day going on three weeks, you tend to pick up on tendencies from teammates you can exploit.
The real test for Porter is when he suits up for the preseason. Unfortunately, he missed the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday with an injury. If Porter can show the talent he is showcasing so far in camp in real game action it could go a long toward securing a starting job.
Even if Porter doesn’t end up taking over the starting role in Week One, we can still expect Porter to see playing time. While he may not be the starter, in obvious passing downs he could come in and play on the outside and have CB Patrick Peterson move inside to the slot.
Porter is working hard during camp and has received praise from Tomlin due to his can-do attitude and performance. It certainly isn’t out of the question that he can be named a starter; he has talent and is a hard worker. But we need to see him in game action first. Hopefully, this Saturday against the visiting Buffalo Bills we can see Porter suit up in the Black and Gold for the first time, and he can show he deserves a starting spot.
