Do the Steelers have a cornerback worth pairing with Joey Porter Jr?
The Steelers’ answer to this question is, very obviously, yes. They traded WR Diontae Johnson in order to acquire Donte Jackson, with minor draft pick improvements. The draft capital exchange was so minimal that it was virtually a player-for-player trade. Unless they kick him inside, which is unlikely, Jackson is the starting cornerback across from Joey Porter Jr.
That hasn’t stopped many from questioning whether they actually have a sufficient option across from Porter. Among the beat writers, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette appears to be the most skeptical of Jackson.
A former second-round pick like Porter, Jackson is entering his seventh season, now 28 years old. He has been a full-time starter for the entirety of his career, with certain strengths and weaknesses. He has great speed and quickness, even after a significant injury in 2022. However, he also lacks discipline at times, which results in him allowing some big plays.
But what does this question really mean? Even that is debatable. The Steelers obviously envision Joey Porter Jr. as a foundational player who will be here for another decade or so. That’s not the case for Jackson, who is likely on the back end of his career already. He is also only under contract through 2024, so this may prove a one-year rental.
But he is good enough to start for this season, so does that satisfy the criteria for the question? I’m not going to answer that for you; I want you to provide your own answer as to what it means to have a worthy pair to Porter in this context. Does that require some type of long-term security beyond a one-year Band-Aid for decent but flawed play?
One can argue that Jackson struggled somewhat last season because of returning from injury, leading to him compensating and not trusting his body as much as he did in the past. From that perspective, one may reasonably assume he can offer superior play in 2024 for the Steelers. Arguably, he may also better fit what the Steelers want to do with him and Porter.
And yet there are some who don’t even want to see Jackson next to Porter this season, hoping another candidate emerges. I mentioned earlier the unlikely possibility of moving Jackson to the slot. Such a possibility hinges on a young cornerback like Darius Rush or Cory Trice Jr. stepping up in a big way that we can’t reasonably foresee (it would also require that Jackson can successfully transition into the slot).
A lot of Steelers fans want the team to let the unit play out and see what they have in these young guys. But we still ultimately have to ask as we sit here in May, do they have a guy who can run with Porter?
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wild Card Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
