Steelers Could Be Eyeing A Joey Porter Jr Upgrade As Surprise First-Round Pick Emerges

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason has been filled with personnel changes both on and off the field ahead of the 2026 season. Now, as the city of Pittsburgh is very close to hosting the 2026 NFL Draft, the anticipation is building as one of the league's most storied franchises enters a new era under head coach Mike McCarthy. While the team has made moves this offseason to fill out holes in its roster, they could go many different directions as they hold 12 overall picks in the draft. 

On Tuesday, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson added in a sleeper pick the team could take. While the speculation has mostly been around wide receiver or offensive lineman for the Black and Gold at pick number 21 in the first round, Wilson is suggesting an under-the-radar cornerback. Wilson named Jermod McCoy as a potential first-round selection, a speedster out of the University of Tennessee. Wilson joined the afternoon show on 93.7 the Fan in Pittsburgh to provide his latest thoughts.

"One name I'll mention -- Jermod McCoy, the cornerback out of Tennessee, who did not play at all last year, but would have been [CB1] had he played," said Wilson. "If he's there at 21, I'll be curious to see what the Steelers think about that. It's not a huge need, they haven't signed Joey Porter Jr., which I assume they're going to do, but he ran in the 4.3's in his Pro Day and he is an upgrade of what Joey was coming out, and obviously Joey was a very good player."

When the team lost James Pierre in free agency to the Minnesota Vikings, they did quickly find a replacement in cornerback Jamel Dean, who comes to the Steel City following seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. General Manager Omar Khan has been highly praised for the moves he has made thus far this offseason to fix holes in the Steelers' roster, and while the consensus still seems to be the organization drafting a lineman or wide receiver at 21, Wilson's comments add an interesting wrinkle to their draft plans.

McCoy briefly played just one season at Oregon State in 2023 with five starts, 31 tackles, and two interceptions in 12 games. He then entered the transfer portal where he eventually became a Volunteer. A torn ACL held him back in 2025, but McCoy announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility, declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. He's 6'0", 188 pounds, and was a Second Team All-American in 2024.

Steelers' Draft Capital Provides Flexibility To Take Best Available Player

While Wilson's comments could be seen as alarming to some, given McCoy's time away from the field, there does seem to be upside in the young cornerback's game. In his 2024 All-American season at Tennessee, McCoy had 44 total tackles and four interceptions in 13 games as a sophomore. 

Wilson also mentioned Joey Porter Jr. and potential future plans the organization has with him, while adding in his belief that McCoy has higher upside coming out of college. Much of that can be credited to the fact that teams in college started to throw away from Porter during his time with the Penn State Nittany Lions due to his lockdown ability at the position. 

This may be somewhat of a curveball for Pittsburgh given much of the talk about the aforementioned positions they are believed to target, but there is a bigger picture in play. The organization holds the most picks in the draft, with 12 overall selections. Given the draft capital the team has, it allows them to look at McCoy as someone to draft as a depth option, at least in his rookie year in Pittsburgh. The team still has notable players like Asante Samuel Jr., Brandin Echols and Cory Trice Jr. behind Porter and Dean, but McCoy may provide better upside, as well as a great insurance policy in case Porter isn't extended.

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