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Penn State Joey Porter Jr. is the physical, long cornerback teams can’t wait to draft

Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is one of the rare instances of being born engulfed into NFL stardom. His father, Joey Porter, was one of the best pass rushers of the 2000s while Jr. was still in diapers. If Porter Jr. was to pursue football, his legacy was always going to come fully equipped with huge expectations. He’s met them in every way. He started as a four-star high school recruit and just finished up a four-year career with the Nittany Lions, most recently being named a second-team All American.

The pre-draft process has felt quiet in some ways for Porter Jr., but that’s not to say he’s not passing the necessary tests prior to the 2023 NFL Draft. There’s plenty to like about what the three-year Big 10 starter brings to the table. Need a smash mouth corner that plays just like his father as a rush edge? Look no further than Mr. Porter.

Joey Porter Jr. has the physical profile to cause nightmares in press coverage

There is a real case to be made for Porter being the best bump-and-run corner in this class. His combination of length (34-inch arms) and physicality at the route release point gives him the upper hand to reroute receivers towards the sideline on vertical concepts to the boundary. Porter isn’t the most fluid athlete in the class, but there’s plenty of turn-and-burn ability for him with receivers looking to get vertical.

His battles in the NFL with ball-winning receivers who like to get vertical along the lines of Ja’Marr Chase and DK Metcalf are sure to be very competitive.

Porter has been gifted with extraordinarily length at the cornerback position. He’s got the ability to squeeze out zones with that profile and he utilizes his length in a way that should allow him to be drafted into a heavy zone scheme in the NFL. The football IQ is there in a big way for Porter, who clearly has been digging into the technical aspects of the game from a young age.

Joey Porter Jr struggles with staying in phase to cover smaller, twitchier receivers

It’s very clear in Porter’s film what his clear-cut strengths and weaknesses are. While the length and physicality flashes in a big way, the ability to explode out of his transitions is recognizable. Smaller receivers who can cut on a dime are going to give Porter a world of trouble in the NFL if he receives that kind of matchup. While nobody can question his ability to turn and run, the concern comes in staying within phase on in-breaking routes where he is not leveraged to press his matchup out of the screen.

Porter’s testing numbers were excellent at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, but there’s a reason he did not perform the agility drills. He’s not a silky smooth short area player. That makes sense considering the size profile. He’s certainly no Jaire Alexander from a short area standpoint, but you’re not drafting Porter for how he moves short. The bulk of his issues come from his lack of purity in his movement and overaggressiveness to grab at the top of breaks.

How Joey Porter Jr measured up at the combine

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine was friendly towards Porter Jr who raised his stock with a multitude of impressive testing numbers.

40-yd dash: 4.46s
Broad Jump: 10’9
Vertical Jump: 35”

What others are saying

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had this to say about Porter Jr:

A long, athletic cover man, Joey Porter Jr. has the fluidity and speed to match up with NFL wide receivers on the outside. His aggressive play style makes him an easy target for flags, but he competes with the physical mindset befitting his namesake (his dad, Joey Porter, played 13 NFL seasons).

An area scout for an AFC team had this to say to NFL.com regarding Porter Jr’s style of play:

He can’t change direction well but he’s strong and physical, so you put him in press and let him play in the receiver’s pocket all game.

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Porter Jr is at his best playing in press-man/quarters situations as well as when he can face up in short to intermediate zones outside the numbers. A team who wants to play their corners off or bail them into a non-aggressive Cover 3 is not going to get the most out of Porter’s abilities. He will need an aggressive play-caller on the defensive side to maximize his talents.

A team looking for an alpha to unlock on the defense to eliminate elite X receivers in the NFL should want their hands on Joey Porter Jr. As an NFL legacy, Porter is likely to be adored by NFL decision-makers. If that wasn’t enough, his play on the field is plenty enough to get him drafted in the top half of round one. Big, long, and athletic is the name of the game in the NFL and the right scheme can mask the deficiencies he possesses.

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