In the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected cornerback Joey Porter Jr. out of Penn State. He was going to follow in the footsteps of his father, Joey Porter, as a key contributor to a Pittsburgh defense.
The former Nittany Lion also filled a huge void on the team’s roster. The secondary was a weakness for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the previous season and Joey Porter Jr. would be tasked with helping turn that around.
It took a little while for him to earn a spot in the defensive lineup. Through the first five games of the season, he didn’t play more than 40 percent of the defensive snaps, with 28 being his single-game high.
From Week 6 on, he didn’t play less than 78 percent of the defensive snaps. In Week 7, Joey Porter Jr. was inserted into the starting lineup and never looked back.
Starting in Week 9, the Penn State product played at least 91 percent of the defensive snaps in every game. Seven times he didn’t come off the field, as Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff had full confidence in him getting the job done.
Just how good was Joey Porter Jr. as a rookie? According to MLFootball on X, he allowed the fewest receptions by a rookie cornerback in NFL history that played at least 800 snaps in their first season as a pro.
Pittsburgh Steelers opponents completed only 24 passes with Joey Porter Jr. as the closest defender. That topped the previous record held by Sauce Garnder of the New York Jets, who allowed 33 during his rookie campaign in 2022.
In 17 games as a rookie, 11 in which he started, Joey Porter Jr. recorded 10 passes defended and one interception with 43 total tackles. His 64.3 overall grade over at PFF was 63rd out of 127 qualified players.
There is certainly room for improvement, as the Penn State product is just scratching the surface of his potential. After a strong rookie campaign, expectations are going to be on the rise.
Joey Porter Jr. has quickly cemented himself as a key part of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game plan defensively. It will be interesting to see what he has in store for Year 2, as he enters the season as a starter and foundational building block for the franchise.
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