The Pittsburgh Steelers are just a few days away from their Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers to kickoff the 2023 regular season. With the first game approaching, the Steelers released their first regular season depth chart. A bit of a shock to some fans as not a single rookie from the team's 2023 draft class is scheduled to start in Week 1, including both Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. Porter Jr. has spoken with Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about being patient and waiting his turn to get on the field, and how he plans to keep developing his game.
Kyle Nelson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers second-rounder Joey Porter Jr. already has big expectations in the town of Pittsburgh.
Steelers Not Starting Porter Jr. To Begin The Season
When Porter Jr. was selected with the first pick of the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, most fans assumed the Steelers would need him on the field immediately since cornerback has been a weak area for the Steelers over the last couple of seasons. Some thought the Steelers would consider taking Porter Jr. at 17th overall, which was their original first-round pick in the draft. Thankfully, they were able to wait and Porter Jr. fell to them.
Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' George Pickens catches a ball running away from rookie Joey Porter Jr. in Latrobe, PA.
Part of what was so attractive about Porter Jr. as a prospect was his size. He stands at 6'2 and will be able to matchup against taller receivers across the NFL. The Steelers would not have drafted him so highly if they didn't plan to play him a large amount moving forward. That means we will likely see Porter Jr. in some dime packages to help him develop and get used to the speed of the NFL game. Porter Jr. says he understands the decision made by Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
"It's like I've always said, it's up to coach, what he decides to go with. I got to be ready for any opportunity I get to go out there."
Porter Jr. will likely be one of the starting outside corners in Pittsburgh for a long time, but for now, he needs to wait his turn as he sits behind both Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson who both have a lot of experience in the NFL. Peterson even played with Porter Jr.'s dad and former Steelers linebacker with the Arizona Cardinals. Porter Jr. will take advantage of all the advice and learning opportunities the vets give him, while seizing every chance he has to get on the field.
Benjamin B. Braun / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson is welcoming the multiple spots he'll play in 2023.
There were multiple reports that Peterson will be playing many positions during the 2023 NFL season. Mainly including outside cornerback and slot cornerback, which could open up some opportunities for Porter Jr. to get some playing time on the outside. It can be assumed that there will be many personnel packages in which Porter Jr. will be a factor that will allow him to continue his development. Tomlin spoke about Porter Jr. and his development so far.
"We were able to get him a lot of reps, particularly over the last several weeks. Obviously, he missed a game, and there's consequences for that from a developmental standpoint, but he made a lot of plays in team development in Latrobe. He's highly competitive. We feel really good about his growth and development, and the trajectory of it. What he's able to provide is not only in the short term, but the long term."
Tomlin obviously feels good about the cornerback position moving forward, with Porter Jr. showing good development. Him not starting is not a bad sign about his play or development, but rather him just being behind two accomplished veterans who he will have many opportunities to learn from. Hopefully we see a lot of Porter Jr. on the field in different defensive personnel packages, and get to see him matchup against some of the best skill players in the league that play for the 49ers.
What do you think of Porter Jr. so far? Let us know in the comments below!
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