The Pittsburgh Steelers were thrilled to have had the opportunity to draft CB Joey Porter Jr. with the 32nd-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, for many reasons. The biggest reason is the fact that they believe he has the ability to be a quality starting cornerback for many years.
They are not necessarily counting on him to be a do-everything player from the word go, however, and for former NFL WR Steve Smith Sr., that might be for the best. The five-time Pro Bowler, now an analyst, spent a day in training camp with the Steelers this year, and he shared his observations of the rookie defensive back on his Cut To It podcast.
“I do not believe you’re going to see Joey Porter Jr. have a dominant season”, he said of the second-round pick. “I think he’s gonna make some rookie mistakes. I don’t think he’ll be as fluid as he was at Penn State. I think it’s gonna be a rollercoaster”.
Citing a lack of elite speed and a college tendency to get physical and grabby, Smith was concerned that the better wide receivers would “utilize his physicality against him and get him to overrun some routes”, adding that he feels he will “be more susceptible to double moves”.
“I think overall he’ll work out and be fine. I think earlier on, it’s gonna be a little rough”.
At the same time, he preached patience, warning that fans are going to grow frustrated with the rookie Porter as he makes his mistakes that suggest that he is not read to play. He is going to have to learn through a trial by fire, of sorts, including the media fire.
Porter has gotten some work with the Steelers’ first-team defense, though it’s not quite set in stone with their core nickel defense will look like. I think we can still assume at this point that Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace will be the cornerbacks in a base 3-4 front, but Porter could be the nickel defender with Peterson shifting inside.
The Steelers have other options wgo can play in the slot, however, if they don’t feel Porter is ready or they don’t want to overexpose Peterson to slot work. Elijah Riley and Chandon Sullivan have gotten the most work there. But they will also be using Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee as interchangeable slot options from the safety position.
“I’m just not sure that you’re gonna have immediate return [on investment], that you can go say, ‘Man, he’s gonna be a shutdown [corner]’”, Smith concluded. “I think it’s gonna take some time. I think his second and third year is really where he’s gonna make those strides”.
If he does struggle, it will be interesting to see how the coaching staff approaches that. Do they leave him out there and let him take his lumps? Do they pull back his assignments and rely upon the number of alternative options they have to mix and match depending upon need or opponent?
If training camp is anything to go by, then the Steelers have no reason to fear for his mental makeup. He shouldn’t go into the tank if he has a few bad games, but rather approach it as another opportunity to find a way to keep growing and getting better. But they are in the business of winning, so that has to be the deciding factor. Is he helping them win or hurting them? It might depend on the day.
