2023 second-round draft pick Joey Porter Jr. quickly emerged as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ top cornerback when he got an opportunity in 2023, and entering 2024, Porter is looking to build off the success he had in 2023. One of the things that made Porter so successful was the fact that he didn’t allow receivers to get open. PFF ranked the top-ten cornerbacks in the league by how often they allowed their matchup to get open, and Porter ranked No. 7 in the league with just a 28.8% open percentage.
Former Steelers CB Patrick Peterson cracked the list for allowing just a step of separation 25% of the time, putting him tied for tenth in that category alongside Marshon Lattimore, Derek Stingley Jr., Deane Leonard, Isaac Yiadom, and Devon Witherspoon. But Porter was much more impressive last season, and his ability to be sticky in coverage and not let guys make easy catches helped set him apart in Pittsburgh’s secondary.
Porter’s 28.8% open percentage ranked ahead of L’Jarius Sneed, who Porter ranked among his top-five cornerbacks in football earlier this week, as Sneed had a 29.9% open percentage. It was also ahead of Sauce Gardner, who ranked No. 10 at 31.6%. It’s certainly impressive company for Porter, who’s looking to ascend to be not just Pittsburgh’s top corner but one of the top corners in the league.
Last season, he certainly took a step toward being one of the top guys in the league with the way he shadowed and shut down receivers like DeAndre Hopkins and Ja’Marr Chase. Porter will be tasked with covering top receivers again this season. The Steelers bolstered the cornerback room around him with the additions of Donte Jackson and Cameron Sutton while also adding depth by signing Anthony Averett and drafting Ryan Watts, who may also be an option at safety.
The improved room around Porter should help Pittsburgh’s passing defense as a whole, but Porter is going to be the one trying to take away top receivers, and if he can do so, the Steelers defense could wind up being even better this season than last year. Given a full offseason of development and having the mindset of being a No. 1 corner, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Porter really breakout this season and become a Pro Bowl-caliber player for the Steelers.
The defense is already strong with Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Patrick Queen in the front seven and Minkah Fitzpatrick at safety. If Porter can take that next step, the Steelers will have elite talent at pretty much every position on defense. I’m excited to see Porter try to take that leap this season, and if he can improve his already impressive numbers from last season, he’ll put the league on notice.
