Next up on our scouting report series ahead of the 2023 NFL draft is Penn State cornerback, Joey Porter Jr.
As you could probably figure out solely off the name, Porter is the son of former All-Pro pass rusher, Joey Porter Sr. And, despite playing different positions, it’s easy to see the type of genes that were passed down.
The most notable traits are the long arms Porter Jr. has that practically go down to his knees, and the aggressive nature in which he plays with, both of which we will discuss later in the article.
But make no mistake about it, Porter Jr. isn’t just some beneficiary of his father’s name. He’s more than deserving of all the hype leading into the draft.
The California native started a combined 31 games during his time at Penn State, and he made the most of it, earning All-American and All-conference honors during his tenure.
As always, this article is going to provide you with an educated opinion on the pros and cons of selecting the long and athletic Penn State cornerback.
Before we get started, a quick reminder that unless noted otherwise, all of the grades and individual rankings that are included are my own opinions.
Porter Jr. is currently my third-highest graded cornerback in a tremendously deep class, so let’s find out exactly what makes him such an intriguing prospect.
Measurables
- Height: 6’2 ½”
- Weight: 193 pounds
- Arm length: 34’’
- 40-time: 4.46
- Relative Athletic Score: 9.71
College Accolades
- Second-Team All-American (2022)
- First-Team All-Big 10 (2022)
- Third-Team All-Big 10 (2021)
- Third-Team All-Big 10 (2020)
2022 Stats
- Targeted: 30
- Receptions allowed: 15
- Yards allowed: 143
- Touchdowns allowed: 0
- Interceptions: 0
- Forced incompletions: 12
- Completion percentage against: 50.0%
Grade, Projection and Rankings
- Overall grade: 84.5 (first round)
- Ceiling projection: Mid-first
- Floor projection: Early second
- Position rank: No. 3
- Consensus rank: No. 3
Reasons to Buy In
- Physical corner who has the size, length and confidence to challenge anybody at the line. He only allowed 68 yards on 106 press-coverage snaps in 2022.
- Uses his length to establish leverage early in the routes and does a great job of consistently disrupting passes when trailing from behind.
- Impressive hand-eye coordination when the ball is in the air. He knows how to locate the ball and he works to put himself in a position to make a play on it.
- Natural ability to challenge tightly-contested passes at the catch point. He had the highest incompletion rate in the country last season (40 percent).
- Moves very well for a bigger cornerback (hip fluidity, change of direction, etc.).
- Willing to stick his nose in the run game if needed.
Areas of Concern
- Walks a fine line between being a nuisance and being reckless with his hand fighting. Could lead to a ton of unnecessary penalties in the pros.
- Has to stop trying to get away with sneaky tactics that will get called as penalties in the NFL (jersey tugs hip pulling, etc.).
- More of an intriguing prospect with ridiculous upside than he is a plug-and-play starter the second he arrives; needs to get more technically sound.
- Occasionally needs to hone in his emotions to avoid creating a snowball effect when something doesn’t go his way.
- Appears to be guessing at times in zone; needs to be more consistent with his overall instincts.
- Sometimes it appears that he’s trying to make the big play instead of the smart one.
- Scheme-specific corner who mainly thrives on the outside in man coverage. Approximately 83 percent of his alignments came on the outside.
Fit with the Titans
Porter Jr. is one of my favorite cornerbacks in this draft class. Unfortunately, considering the Titans have so many holes on offense, it’s hard to envision them taking a cornerback early in the draft.
However, this class is one of the deepest in years, therefore you can’t blame the Titans if they choose to take advantage of it in order to help improve an inconsistent secondary.
Should Tennessee go this route, Porter Jr. is one of my favorite realistic choices for the team. He would bring an alpha-like presence to a cornerback room that truly needs one.
The Penn State product is a physical corner in every aspect of his game and it shows in his ability to be a nuisance in press coverage.
Porter has ridiculous length for a defensive back (34-inch arms), and he knows how to use it to his advantage.
Porter only allowed 68 receiving yards on 106 press snaps in 2022, per Pro Football Focus.
The former All-American does a good job of getting his hands on the receiver early in the route so he can establish leverage from the jump.
Porter can be a difficult defender to beat because his long arms allow him to consistently make plays on the ball from a trail position.
The Nittany Lions legend has been dominant in situations where he’s been forced to challenge contested catches. In fact, his 40 percent forced incompletion rate led all Power Five cornerbacks in 2022.
Porter does a good job of locating the ball once it’s in the air, and he uses his impressive blend of hand-eye coordination and fluid athleticism to put himself in positions to disrupt the pass.
The Penn State product also embraces his role in the run game, and he isn’t afraid to make his presence felt when needed.
If there was one major knock on Porter’s game, it’s his overaggressive tendencies at times. These bad habits could eventually cost him and his future team if he doesn’t ease up a bit with the sneaky grabbing tactics.
There are far too many times where Porter walks a fine line between being an irritant and being reckless. Nevertheless, you’ll live with an occasional penalty if it leads to the type of shutdown potential he possesses.
Last season alone, Porter only allowed an eye-popping 143 receiving yards when targeted throughout 10 games.
Obviously, the Titans have bigger needs at the moment, but putting someone with his skill set on the boundary could legitimately take this already stout defense to an entirely different level.
As of right now, Tennessee’s best chance at competing with these elite AFC quarterbacks is putting a defense together that can drastically slow those high-powered offenses down.
For that reason alone, even if it is highly unlikely, getting one of these top cornerbacks shouldn’t be dismissed completely.
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