ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has his first 2023 mock draft up this week. Kiper is highly regarded among the draft community and so we had to see who he picked for the Steelers with the No. 17 overall pick.
Kiper opted for Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. for Pittsburgh as the second cornerback off the board. Here’s what Kiper had to say about the pick:
Like father, like son in Pittsburgh? The Steelers drafted linebacker Joey Porter in the third round in 1999, and they have a need for his son in 2023. Porter is an aggressive 6-foot-2 corner who was a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions. He picked off just one pass in his career, but he had 11 pass breakups in 2022, so he gets his hands on the football when it’s headed in his direction. The Steelers likely will be hoping one of the top offensive tackles drops to them, and they could also target a defensive tackle.
I totally get the connection between the Steelers and Porter but that can’t cloud judgment. As Kiper pointed out, Porter only has one career interception and you don’t spend the 17th overall pick on that type of player. Assuming the Steelers re-sign Cameron Sutton, there isn’t even a starting cornerback job open.
