Welcome to the inaugural edition of the 2023 NFL Draft Focus. In this series, we will look at the incoming prospects hoping their names will be heard on draft night. Be sure to check often as we will produce content until the event’s start.
BACKGROUND
Joey Porter Jr is a cornerback prospect out of Pennsylvania. His name is probably familiar as he is the son of former NFL player and Superbowl Champion, Joey Porter. In high school, he played both cornerback and wide receiver. This got him noticed as Rivals listed him as a three-star prospect. For college, he decided to stay home and play for Penn State.
COLLEGE CAREER
As a freshman, Joey Porter Jr played in only four games and had a limited role on the team. In his second year, he was able to start in all the games for Penn State. He amassed 33 tackles for the team. Everything started to come together in his third year. He recorded 50 tackles and an interception for the Nittany Lions. He surprised people by returning for his redshirt junior season. Many believed that he could have been drafted had he applied that season. He was a recipient of the Third-team All-Big Ten in 2020 and 2021.
2022-2023 COLLEGE CAREER
Porter Jr showcased more of his talent in his last season in college football. Through 10 games, he had nine pass breakups and QBs had a QBR of 63.6 when targeting him. It was a great season overall for him as he won multiple awards such as the Jim Thorpe Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award. It looks like that extra year in college paid off for him.
STRENGTHS: Length
Seeing him on the field, he looks super long and intimidating. He moves very fluidly and can close out fast on receivers. The ball skills he has is very good as he can track them very well and punch out the ball of the WRs hands. The length and versatility make him a defensive coordinator’s dream. He can be placed anywhere and be disruptive.
WEAKNESSES: Too Aggressive At Times
Because of his physical size, he sometimes overuses it on the field. This leads to penalties such as being too handsy. He should learn to focus on his technique more in order to avoid this from becoming frequent in the NFL. Wide receivers in the NFL are bigger so he won’t be able to use his physicality as much.
PLAYER COMPARISON: Dre Kirkpatrick
TEAMS WHO COULD DRAFT HIM
Joey Porter Jr is seen as a mid-1st round talent and this would be an ideal place for him. Teams like New England and Pittsburgh are playoff-potential teams and need help in their secondary. Being drafted to those teams can push Joey to be the top cornerback in this class when we look back at this draft.
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