There is no hotter name right now than Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers and their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. But if we dig a little deeper, there are more reasons not to draft the former Penn State star than then to select him No. 17 overall.
Name recognition isn't enough
Simply being the son of former Steelers legend Joey Porter is not close to enough reason for the Steelers to draft him. I know the notion of family ties when it comes to the Steelers is strong ad prevalent but again, this draft is going to be pivotal for the growth of this young team so the first-round pick has to reflect that.
Cornerback isn't a first-round need
As of now, there is no reason to believe the Steelers are not going to re-sign Cameron Sutton. So if we assume Sutton returns, that leaves a really good three-deep of Sutton, Levi Wallace and Arthur Maulet. This doesn’t mean Pittsburgh shouldn’t draft a cornerback but there’s no reason to spend a first-round pick on one with other positions of higher need.
Porter isn't even the best option at cornerback
Putting aside everything about need or if by some chance Sutton does leave in free agency, there are far better options for the Steelers in the first round if they want to select a cornerback. The biggest flaw in Porter’s game is his lack of ball skills. He just doesn’t get his hands on the football. In today’s NFL this seriously hurts the value of any CB. A player like Illinios’ Devon Witherspoon, Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez and South Carolina’s Cam Smith all represent better options.
