NFL Draft Profile: Joey Porter Jr., Cornerback, Penn State Nittany Lions
#9
Pos: CB
Ht: 6024
Wt: 193
Hand: 1000
Arm: 3400
Wing: 8078
40: 4.46
DOB: 7/26/2000
Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
High School: North Allegheny Senior
Eligibility: 2023
Joey Porter Jr.
Penn State Nittany Lions
One-Liner:
A press corner with good size - the prototypical build and attributes to be an NFL cornerback.
Evaluation:
A long, physical press man cover corner, Porter Jr owns prototypical attributes, along with NFL bloodlines (son of former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter). His long arms allow him to knock receivers off their mark and enable him to get his hands on a lot of tipped balls. Porter Jr. is also asked to play quite a bit of zone coverage and has no problem adapting due to his natural football instincts. In addition, he can help out in the run game, as evidenced by his 49 tackles a year ago. Coaches say that he conducts himself with a quiet confidence. A decision was made to return to Penn State, in order to earn his degree but also to clean up some aspects of his game. He was flagged for a handful of penalties last season and can be a bit too grabby with his hands at times, an area of his game that scouts will want to see him tame. He’ll also need to bulk up his frame as he transitions to the pros. Following in the footsteps of his dad, Porter Jr. is the total package and one of the top cornerback prospects in the nation.
Grade:
2nd Round
Quotes:
“My dad went through this all before, so just being able to talk to him about all of this stuff is the most important thing. He’s already taken the path that I want to take, so all of those little tips and suggestions are big for me." - Joey Porter Jr.
Background:
At his size, he can matchup against any receiver he matches up against. He made a true impact in 2020, his Redshirt Freshmen year, where he was named to the Big Ten third team. He started eight games for Penn State with thirty three tackles. He increased his starts in 2021 with thirteen and increased tackles with fifty one, with forty of them being solo. He was also nominated to the third team All Big Ten by both coaches and the media. Porter Jr. will look to put on a tremendous Junior year for Penn State.