The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the few franchises in the entire NFL that have had multiple sets of siblings on the roster for the last handful of seasons. Some fans may say that helps build team chemistry in the locker room, while others say it does the complete opposite. No matter which side of the argument you fall on, we can all agree that it is rare for a team to have one set of siblings on a team, let alone multiple pairs over the course of multiple seasons. After news that broke in the college football world earlier this week, the Steelers may in fact draft their first, second generational Steeler in franchise history next season.
Penn State cornerback and son of former Steelers All-Pro linebacker Joey Porter, Joey Porter Jr. declared for the NFL Draft on Twitter:
Thank You Penn State 💙 pic.twitter.com/0Yxx8hE7s2
— Joey Porter Jr. (@jjporter_1) November 30, 2022
In 2022, Porter Jr. appeared in 10 games and had 11 pass deflections, 27 total tackles, and 1 fumble recovery. He was one of the leaders of a Nittany Lions' defense that has been one of the most elite groups in all of college football the last few seasons. It is projected that he will be a first-round or early second-round pick in the draft this off-season.
Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. (9) during second quarter of the Nittany Lions' game against the Indiana Hoosiers. | Photo Credit: Mark Selders.
Porter Jr.'s father, Joey Porter Sr. spent eight seasons in Pittsburgh with the Steelers and was a three-time All-Pro linebacker. Porter's most productive seasons came in 2004 and 2005. Over the course of those two seasons, he had a total of 17.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and 16 passes defended. He also served on the Steelers coaching staff from 2014-2018 as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach.
Joey Porter Sr. during a game in the mid 2000's. | Rick Stewart / Getty Images
With the Steelers in dire need of an elite corner, you can't help but expect that Porter Jr. is on their radar. Pro Football Focus College has him currently on their big board in the 34th spot. If that were to be accurate and the season were to end today, the Steelers would be able to use their 34th pick (2nd-round pick acquired from Chicago) on Porter Jr. which would be considered a steal by some.
The Steelers are also notably in need of help at the offensive tackle position, which raises the possibly that they go that direction and use their first-round pick to help bolster the offensive line in hopes to still be able to draft Porter Jr. in the early stages of the second round. It is highly likely the Steelers will go cornerback, defensive line, or offensive line with their picks in the first two rounds of the draft. It is just a matter of which prospects are still on the board at each given time.
The Steelers will be in a tough spot if they do in fact have a pick in the middle stages of the first round. I believe selecting Porter Jr. at any point in the top 15 would be too early, but I also don't think the chance is very high that he makes it into the second round. It will be interesting to see which direction the front office takes and if they end up trading back a few spots to add even more draft capital in the future.
Who Is Another Option The Steelers Might Look To At Cornerback?
If Porter does end up going somewhere other than Pittsburgh, the Steelers will still be able to find their answer at cornerback somewhere else. The 2023 NFL Draft is loaded with quarterback talent and their will be plenty of "quarterback needy" teams in the first-round. This is going to benefit the Steelers who are not in need of a quarterback next season and can take advantage of all of the top tier talent in positions that need help in.
With the quarterback position being such a hot commodity in the first round, the Steelers will likely be able to snag one of the top corners or offensive tackles in the draft. If they do indeed use their first pick on a corner, I believe they are going to go with University of South Carolina corner, Cam Smith. Smith hasn't quite had the statistical season in 2022 that he had the previous two seasons. In 2020-21, he had a total of 5 interceptions, 57 tackles, and 1 forced fumble.
The reason Smith has had a less productive season statistically is simply because he isn't allowing any production from the receivers. He has only allowed 9 receptions all season. Smith will be a day one NFL starter and would be a great addition to the defense.
What do you think? Do you think we will see Joey Porter Jr. in the black and gold next season? Or is their another cornerback you would like to see the Steelers target in 2023? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below or on my Twitter @collinlschmitt.
#SteelerNation
