Year 3 is shaping up to be a major one for a handful of players on the roster for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that includes cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Porter has been viewed as the key piece in the cornerback room for the Black and Gold since the day he was drafted, capping off the storybook moment, putting him with the same franchise he grew up around watching his father play for.
But in the last two years, that heartwarming story has turned to some frustration and some concern regarding Porter Jr., who has struggled with penalties and consistency at the cornerback position since becoming a full-time starter in the second half of his rookie season.
Last season was rather rocky for the Penn State product, too, as he was a mess with his technique, leading to many penalties that have him under the microscope entering 2025.
For longtime Steelers’ beat writer Mark Kaboly, who appeared on the 93.7 The Fan Joe Show with host Joe Starkey Wednesday, Porter has all the talent in the world. If he can just put it together this season by cleaning up the penalties under new secondary coach Gerald Alexander — a coach who Porter worked with during his rookie season — he could turn into an “upper-level” cornerback in the NFL.
“He definitely didn’t take a step forward, put it that way. He might have stayed even. Maybe that’s why they brought in Gerald Alexander — probably one of the reasons, not to mention the main reason they bring in [Darius] Slay, because they know this guy,” Kaboly said of Porter and his outlook for the 2025 season, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “They’re gonna have to make a decision on Joey Porter, what, next year? This is his third year. I think he has all the talent in the world.
“He has the size, the talent. He’s learned how to tackle after those first four or five games his rookie year. If he could just get down the technique of not grabbing, holding, and committing penalties, I think he’s a mid-to-upper level cornerback.”
Porter does have all the talent in the world. Coming out of college, he was considered one of the best cornerbacks in a draft class that featured the likes of Devon Witherspoon, Emmanuel Forbes, Christian Gonzales, and Tyrique Stevenson. Porter is that new-age mold of corner with great size and length, and a real physicality about his game.
The problem is that physicality sometimes gets in the way, as he’s too physical in coverage and tends to grab onto receivers, engaging in hand-fighting and mixing it up in routes, which has led to penalties being called against him.
Last season alone, Porter had 15 total penalties called against him, five of which were declined or offsetting, according to Pro Football Focus. In his career to date, he’s had 27 penalties called against him, but nine have been declined or offsetting. That’s 19 penalties in two seasons that Porter has been responsible for.
That’s a very concerning number. But with a new position coach in the room and a fresh set of eyes, there is the expectation that Porter will clean things up. He’s going to have to if he wants to remain a starting cornerback in the NFL, because at some point, the bad outweighs the good at that position in today’s pass-happy league.
When he’s not getting hit with penalties, he’s pretty darn good in coverage, allowing a catch percentage of just 57.3% when targeted, giving up 73 receptions across two seasons on 127 targets for 1,003 yards and just two touchdowns. He has two interceptions and 10 pass breakups to go with those numbers, too, showing he can be quite good in coverage with his length and physicality.
It’s all about cleaning up the technique and learning what he can and cannot do. That comes with time and experience, two things he has in abundance now with 1,778 career snaps. Year 3 is a big one for him, without a doubt.
If he can figure it out technique-wise, the rest will fall into place within his game, and the Steelers will find themselves with a high-end starting cornerback.
