Oftentimes during the pre-draft cycle, players from smaller college programs will get invited to or be requested to appear at a large program’s pro days. One player who recently did that is Ferris State DB Shon Stephens, who participated in Wednesday’s pro day at Michigan State.
This player has some extra interest for the Pittsburgh Steelers as he is the cousin of Joey Porter Jr., who was drafted in the second round last year by the team.
According to The Draft Network’s Justin M on X, Stephens put on a show for those in attendance. He reportedly ran in the 4.3 range for the 40-yard dash, which can be viewed below. He also put up 19 reps on the bench press, which would have stacked up very well to defensive backs who tested at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
Stephens played his final season at Ferris State, but previously spent time with West Liberty University in 2022 and Bakersfield College in 2017 and 2018.
According to those team websites, Stephens totaled eight interceptions in each of the last two seasons, including a four-interception game against Alderson Broaddus University in 2022.
Ferris State is a NCAA Division II school, so the level of competition Stephens was up against was lesser than most prospects, but he was highly productive as a defensive back and also returned kicks and punts, including one return for a touchdown in 2023.
The Steelers were on site for the Michigan State Pro Day, and according to Justin M, he “garnered interest” from the Steelers and other teams.
Here are some of his other workout numbers.
This isn’t a player many probably had on their radar as Ferris State is not a high-profile program, but the Steelers have the benefit of being able to chat with both Joey Porter Jr. and Joey Porter Sr. about the prospect. Given the team’s fascination with NFL bloodlines, and his impressive workout, Stephens could be in play to be a late-round selection or a priority free agent signing.
