Former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Patrick Peterson watched Joey Porter Jr. take his first steps in the NFL. It didn’t take long for him to see the talent, which he believes could even surpass his at his peak. While Porter isn’t quite there yet, Peterson believes he is one of the reasons the position is in good hands. And he doesn’t mean that simply with the Steelers—he means the state of the cornerback position at large.
“Joey is definitely one of them”, Peterson said on The Insiders on the NFL Network. “I had an opportunity to spend a season with him and watch him grow into what everybody is starting to see him transform into”.
Peterson also named Derek Stingley Jr., Sauce Gardner, and Patrick Surtain II among those holding down the position with Porter. “The defensive back room in the NFL is in great hands”, he said. “I love watching the young DBs and what they’re bringing to the game today”.
The Steelers selected Joey Porter Jr. 32nd overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, the top pick in Round 2. He opened his rookie season playing in the dime role, graduating to nickel, before finally starting. By year’s end, he regularly asked for and received important shadow assignments against teams’ best wide receivers. And more often than not, he won.
While Peterson was near the end of his career—which may now be over—he played a valuable mentorship role for Porter as a rookie. Now off the roster, he will continue to follow Porter’s career closely—from a distance.
This offseason, after releasing Peterson, the Steelers traded for veteran CB Donte Jackson. I don’t know that Joey Porter still needs a veteran mentor, but if so, he is it. Every other cornerback in that room has less experience than he does. The Steelers’ two backup outside guys are Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush, both drafted last year with minimal snaps. Then there is the slot guy, Beanie Bishop Jr., an undrafted rookie.
In other words, the Steelers need Joey Porter Jr. to be that lockdown guy Peterson believes he is. Porter had a very quiet summer, minus a defensive pass interference penalty in the opening preseason game. That can be good or bad for a defensive back, but at this point, there is no reason to worry.
But is Porter one of the great up-and-coming cornerbacks in the entire NFL? Does he have Pro Bowl potential—which is unlikely unless he starts picking off passes? His reception rate allowed last season is impressive, but his game is still not complete. Along with generating more takeaways, he absolutely must cut down on the penalties. And even he knows it’s not just as simple as swapping out your gloves.
