Joey Porter Jr doesn’t have a problem with confidence, especially in his abilities. Just ask the second-year Steelers DB.
Who is the best cornerback in the NFL? “Me for sure,” Porter told The Athletic following an OTA practice last week.
See, you might think it’s merely cockiness, that Porter is a brash, preening DB who purposefully forgets about the bad plays only to remember the good. That’s how a corner or a safety gets through a game. But also, if you can back up the talk, it’s not cocky. There’s a point to be made that Porter, the Steelers second-round draft pick from 2023, is one of the best young corners in the game.
“There are a lot of good DBs in this league,” Porter said. “Nobody was doing what I was doing going against WR1s the entire year and locking him down. I don’t care if I am mentioned in there or not because they are going to hear my name eventually.”
Steelers corner asked to cover DeAndre Hopkins in second start
He began his career as a starter midway through his rookie season. Then in his second start — against the Titans —Porter asked the coaches if he could cover DeAndre Hopkins, one of the top receivers in the league. How’d that work out? According to Next Gen Stats, Porter lined up on Hopkins on 72.2 percent of the time. So Porter-on-Hopkins happened on 26 of 36 of the receiver’s routes. On those plays, Tennessee QB Will Levis threw to Hopkins five times. The receiver caught only one of those passes for 17 yards.
Pro Football Focus shared some Porter stats this week. The Steelers corner definitely can make that case about being tops in the NFL. PFF noted that Porter allowed a completion rate of only 47.4 percent. That was the lowest of any corner who quarterbacks targeted at least 50 times.
PFF tweeted “put some respect on his name.”
Tomlin said best part of Porter’s game is ‘mindset’
After last season, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin entertained questions about his young corner’s supreme confidence. Most long-time Steelers observers will not that the younger Porter gets that from his dad, Joey Sr., a former Pittsburgh linebacker.
“Probably the most impressive component of where he is, is his mindset,” Tomlin said of Jr. “He wants the fight. He wants the tough coverage. (And) he’s extremely competitive in that way.”
After he was drafted, Porter immediately asked for a competitive piece of George Pickens in practice. Pickens is the Steelers top receiver.
“I wanted that from the jump,” Porter said. “I had that in my mind when I got here. (And) I talked to Coach T, talked about that when I first got here about how me and George (Pickens) were going to go at it in camp. That’s what I am looking forward to at camp this year, too.”
Of course, Porter wants more than just Pickens. He’ll be on every top receiver the Steelers face. That’s what you do if you’re the best corner in the NFL.
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