Joey Porter Jr., CB Penn State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Porter was a four-star recruit from North Allegheny Senior High School in Wexford, Pa. in the class of 2019

Joey Porter Jr. suffers from some of the same physical limitations as Georgia’s Kelee Ringo, but the Penn State cornerback has a better chance of hearing his name called in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Joey Porter Jr., CB Penn State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior outside cornerback from Bakersfield, Calif.

Background: Porter was a four-star recruit from North Allegheny Senior High School in Wexford, Pa. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 324 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 252 for On3.com. Porter was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 281st in the nation with an 81 grade out of 100. Porter was a team captain during his senior year in high school. During that year, he led North Allegheny Senior High School to a 10-1 record and a Quad County Conference Class 6A title. In 2018, Porter earned First-Team All-USA Pennsylvania Football Team honors from USA Today. He recorded 22 tackles, three interceptions, and four passes defensed as a high school senior and 11 receptions for 186 yards and three touchdowns on offense. As a junior, he tallied 26 tackles, seven interceptions, and three passes defensed. Porter committed to Penn State over offers from Arizona State, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia, and several non-Power 5 programs. He has three cousins who also played college football: Jason Gildon at Oklahoma State, Larry Birdine Jr. at Oklahoma State, and Sheldon Croney Jr. at Iowa State. Gildon was a third round selection in the 1994 NFL Draft. He made three Pro Bowls, was a First-Team All-Pro in 2001, and tallied 80 sacks during his 11-year career. Porter’s father is Joey Porter Sr. The elder Porter played college football at Colorado State before being selected in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played for 13 years, amassing four Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, a Super Bowl ring, a spot on the All-Decade team, and 98 sacks. Following his playing career, Porter returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers as an outside linebackers coach for several years.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed two games in 2022 with appendicitis and sat out the bowl game

Awards: 2020 Third-Team All-Big Ten (Media), 2021 Third-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches), 2022 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2022 Second-Team All-American, 2022 Penn State Most Valuable Defensive Player

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, and field goal block units, cut back on penalties in 2022, massive arms, limited hip tightness despite size, impactful punches throw receivers off their routes, avoids lunging to maintain his balance in coverage, compresses outside releases along the sideline, reroutes receivers at all levels, times his transitions in off-man coverage to accept the receiver’s route seamlessly, processes multiple receiving threats entering his zone, recognizes developing route patterns in zone, large area of influence in zone, reads the quarterback’s eyes and looks to jump routes, arm length to play the ball from behind receivers without fouling, quick to trigger on screens, hunts for big hits on wide receiver screens, tackle radius, Ohio State (2022) didn’t want to challenge him

Cons: Committed 13 penalties over the past two years, lacks slot experience, one season of elite ball production, change of direction skills, loses a step when he misses his punches, punch accuracy needs to improve, occasional false steps in the release phase, footwork to mirror complex releases is limited, large steps and inconsistent balance allow separation for shifty receivers near the LOS, feet are slow to redirect early in the route, struggles vs. sudden and twitchy receivers, allows separation on in-breaking routes, gets grabby on comeback routes and going into sharp cuts, caught flat-footed in off man, sits high in his backpedal, plays with an elevated pad level, loses a step when he turns his head to locate the ball, dropped interceptions, mid-route contact downfield will draw flags, dives low for tackles instead of driving through the ball carrier in run support, grab and drag tackler in the run game, flies in uncontrolled

Overview: Porter took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 6024 and weighs 193 lbs. He has ten-inch hands, 34-inch arms, and an 80 7/8-inch wingspan. Porter is a large, imposing cornerback with limited hip tightness and enough speed and fluidity to showcase himself well against some of the better receivers in college football. He has special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, and field goal block units. Penalties were a massive concern for Porter in 2021 (ten total), but he only committed three in 2022. He shines in press coverage, throwing impactful punches that knock receivers off their routes. The former three-star recruit also reroutes receivers at the intermediate and deep areas of the field. He compresses outside releases along the sideline, often removing pass catchers from the field of play. Porter times his transitions in off-man coverage to accept the receiver’s route and get in phase seamlessly. He is an elite processor in zone coverage, recognizing and sorting through multiple route concepts to find a play on the ball. Porter’s build gives him a large area of influence in zone. He reads the quarterback’s eyes and looks to jump routes. Porter uses his arms to dominate contested catches and play the ball from behind receivers without fouling. The California native is quick to trigger on screens and has a large tackle radius. Ohio State (2022) didn’t want to challenge him this past season. Porter lines up on the field or boundary sides of the play. The All-American’s change of direction skills and footwork are concerning. He has false steps in the release phase and struggles to mirror complex releases because he takes large, slow steps. Porter doesn’t play with great balance in these situations, and he struggles against sudden and twitchy receivers. The Penn State product allows separation on complex releases, sharp cuts, comeback routes, and in-breaking routes. He gets grabby on comeback routes or sharp cuts. Porter sits high in his backpedal and plays with an elevated pad level. He gets caught flat-footed in off-man coverage. Referees will flag Porter for initiating mid-route contact downfield. He lacks elite recovery speed. Porter dives low for tackles and resorts to grab and drag tackling in the run game. He needs to improve his punch accuracy in press.

Overall, Porter is one of the most physically gifted cornerbacks in the draft, but his frame is a double-edged sword that impacts his ability to mirror twitchy, sudden receivers. Porter projects best to situations where he controls the play at the line of scrimmage in press coverage. He should also thrive in schemes where he reads the action in zone before jumping routes.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside corner in a zone-heavy scheme with press opportunities

Round Projection: Late First to Early Second

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 04-10-23