By: Michael Higgins

School: Penn State (Junior)

Position: CB

HT: 6’2

WT: 192 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #8

Porter Jr. is a physical freak at the cornerback position. At the combine I expect him to measure in with around 34 inch arms. By far the best length in the entire draft class, the long arms allow him to be the best tackling cornerback in the entire draft class. He will have some of the best physical measurements that we see at the combine, that alone will be enough for him to be a top pick in the draft. He has also been named an All-American, either first or second team, by a variety of outlets in 2022. Porter Jr. has been a three year starter for the Nittany Lions and has made a big impact in each of his three seasons. Cornerbacks coming out of college often have problems with missed tackles, not Porter. If he gets the ball carrier in his grasp, he’s making the play. This is not only due to his stature and length, but it also just comes with his style of play. The son of Steelers’ legendary linebacker, Joey Porter, it seems as if he plays with the same physicality and tenacity that his father played with. He isn’t too aggressive to the point where he commits egregious penalties, but his physicality allows for him to disrupt wide receivers and their routes. His length allows for him to be physical at the line of scrimmage and play aggressive in press man coverage. He is able to knock receivers off their routes at the line and disrupt the entire read. Porter Jr. is a great press coverage boundary corner who is extremely physical and aggressive at the catch point. His aggressiveness and length allow for him to compete for plenty of balls, resulting in deflected passes and pass break ups. While Porter is a great press corner, Penn State often had him playing off in a deep zone which doesn’t really highlight his strengths, rather it highlights his weaknesses.

While he is long, this causes him to be a bit stiff at the line of scrimmage. When playing in zone, he doesn’t have the lateral quickness that you would want to see from him. He is not as loose and flexible as you would like to see out of a cornerback and can be a little stiff when turning his hips. Porter also needs to improve his ball skills in order to create more turnovers and prevent passes over the top, as there were many dropped interceptions in his college career. If Porter Jr. can begin to capitalize on these opportunities to make splash plays, he will be an even bigger asset to the defense. When covering deep routes, he struggles to lock in on the receiver and make the play, he often overruns his target.

Joey Porter Jr. is one of the most jarring prospects that you will ever see on paper. He has all the physical tools and he put those to use at Penn State. While he did not have any interceptions in 2022, and likely should have had a few, you can partially chalk that up to quarterbacks not throwing his way. He will be an instant impact starter in the NFL right away and his physical nature should take him quite far.

Scheme Fit: Odd Front Press Man Coverage

Ideal Role: Starting boundary cornerback

Best Team Fits: DET, PHI, NE

Player Comparison: Jaycee Horn

Player Grade: 89.7