The Pittsburgh Steelers talking down their rookies’ preparedness for a full-time role is certainly nothing new. Though they have been more willing in the past decade to let the young guys play, it’s still not uncommon for them to employ a much higher level of caution than other teams might.
Which is probably the only reason 32nd-overall pick Joey Porter Jr. is still spending so much time on the sidelines. Though his role has slowly increased in the secondary over the first five weeks, there is no question that on a per-snap basis, he has outplayed starters Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace. With the team now heading into the bye week, many are hoping for a change in the pecking order.
“I think there’s a chance that whoever’s playing well will start”, defensive backs coach Grady Brown said on Tuesday, via Teresa Varley on the team’s website. He said of Porter that he “finished the (Ravens) game definitely in a good spot. We’ll see if he starts”.
The rookie did play a career-high 28 snaps against Baltimore on Sunday, one more than two weeks ago against the Las Vegas Raiders. But he played a bit more in that game because Wallace was banged up and missed some snaps. This time, the defense actually rotated him in with the starters.
And then he made a key interception in the end zone following what could have been a devastating turnover on a punt return. In coverage, whenever he has been targeted so far in his young career, he has held up well. Better than anybody else in the secondary. And that should count for something.
“I think at the end of the day it’s about, are you making the plays that need to be made?”, Brown asked. “I’m not sure that it really matters who starts. It’s about, when they’re throwing the ball out there, who’s out there and how’s that guy playing?”.
It will be very interesting to see how the Steelers juggle the secondary between now and their next game. Would they dare demote Peterson, the future Hall of Famer? Or at the least, would they do what they essentially planned to do, which is move him primarily to the slot, with Porter playing outside in the nickel package? Or could the rookie play over Wallace instead?
Pittsburgh added a veteran slot option just before the season started in Desmond King II, as well. He played his first defensive snap on Sunday—which ended up being a rushing touchdown, granted. But the coaching staff has talked about him getting on the moving train, as well.
That’s two cornerbacks looking for a bigger role on the other side of the bye week. King is a proven veteran. Porter is a high-pedigreed rookie who has held up to early scrutiny in a limited sample size. But the only way to find out if he is prepared to shoulder the full load is to put it on him.
