Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is likely one of the uncommon cases of being born engulfed into NFL stardom. His father, Joey Porter, was probably the greatest cross rushers of the 2000s whereas Jr. was nonetheless in diapers. If Porter Jr. was to pursue soccer, his legacy was all the time going to come back absolutely geared up with large expectations. He’s met them in each method. He began as a four-star highschool recruit and simply completed up a four-year profession with the Nittany Lions, most just lately being named a second-team All American.
The pre-draft course of has felt quiet in some methods for Porter Jr., however that’s to not say he’s not passing the mandatory assessments previous to the 2023 NFL Draft. There’s lots to love about what the three-year Massive 10 starter brings to the desk. Want a smash mouth nook that performs similar to his father as a rush edge? Look no additional than Mr. Porter.
Joey Porter Jr. has the bodily profile to trigger nightmares in press protection
There’s a actual case to be made for Porter being the very best bump-and-run nook on this class. His mixture of size (34-inch arms) and physicality on the route launch level provides him the higher hand to reroute receivers in the direction of the sideline on vertical ideas to the boundary. Porter isn’t essentially the most fluid athlete within the class, however there’s loads of turn-and-burn capacity for him with receivers seeking to get vertical.
His battles within the NFL with ball-winning receivers who wish to get vertical alongside the traces of Ja’Marr Chase and DK Metcalf are certain to be very aggressive.
Porter has been gifted with terribly size on the cornerback place. He’s received the flexibility to squeeze out zones with that profile and he makes use of his size in a method that ought to permit him to be drafted right into a heavy zone scheme within the NFL. The soccer IQ is there in an enormous method for Porter, who clearly has been digging into the technical features of the sport from a younger age.
Joey Porter Jr struggles with staying in section to cowl smaller, twitchier receivers
It’s very clear in Porter’s movie what his clear-cut strengths and weaknesses are. Whereas the size and physicality flashes in an enormous method, the flexibility to blow up out of his transitions is recognizable. Smaller receivers who can lower on a dime are going to provide Porter a world of hassle within the NFL if he receives that type of matchup. Whereas no person can query his capacity to show and run, the priority is available in staying inside section on in-breaking routes the place he isn’t leveraged to press his matchup out of the display screen.
Do not sleep on Purdue WR Charlie Jones as a mid-round possibility for the #Patriots. 110 catches, 1,361 yards, and 12 TDs within the Massive Ten final 12 months.
One of many prime technicians on this class with a 4.43s 40. Some wins towards Joey Porter Jr. right here. pic.twitter.com/t1RxrHFWXP
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) March 28, 2023
Porter’s testing numbers had been wonderful on the 2023 NFL Scouting Mix, however there’s a purpose he didn’t carry out the agility drills. He’s not a silky clean brief space participant. That is smart contemplating the scale profile. He’s definitely no Jaire Alexander from a brief space standpoint, however you’re not drafting Porter for the way he strikes brief. The majority of his points come from his lack of purity in his motion and overaggressiveness to seize on the prime of breaks.
How Joey Porter Jr measured up on the mix
The 2023 NFL Scouting Mix was pleasant in the direction of Porter Jr who raised his inventory with a large number of spectacular testing numbers.
40-yd sprint: 4.46s
Broad Bounce: 10’9
Vertical Bounce: 35”
What others are saying
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had this to say about Porter Jr:
A protracted, athletic cowl man, Joey Porter Jr. has the fluidity and pace to match up with NFL extensive receivers on the surface. His aggressive play fashion makes him a straightforward goal for flags, however he competes with the bodily mindset befitting his namesake (his dad, Joey Porter, performed 13 NFL seasons).
An space scout for an AFC staff had this to say to NFL.com concerning Porter Jr’s fashion of play:
He can’t change route effectively however he’s robust and bodily, so you set him in press and let him play within the receiver’s pocket all recreation.
Porter Jr is at his greatest taking part in in press-man/quarters conditions in addition to when he can face up briefly to intermediate zones exterior the numbers. A staff who needs to play their corners off or bail them right into a non-aggressive Cowl 3 will not be going to get essentially the most out of Porter’s skills. He’ll want an aggressive play-caller on the defensive facet to maximise his abilities.
A staff searching for an alpha to unlock on the protection to get rid of elite X receivers within the NFL ought to need their fingers on Joey Porter Jr. As an NFL legacy, Porter is prone to be adored by NFL decision-makers. If that wasn’t sufficient, his play on the sector is lots sufficient to get him drafted within the prime half of spherical one. Massive, lengthy, and athletic is the secret within the NFL and the appropriate scheme can masks the deficiencies he possesses.
