Latest mock draft has Joey Porter Jr. headed to the AFC North
We’re getting closer to the 2023 NFL Draft, and with the Combine now complete, we’ve been able to see some of the draft’s best prospects.
One of those candidates, perhaps one of the best for his position in this year’s draft, is cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Not only that, Porter Jr. was also featured in multiple NFL 2023 mock drafts.
This week College Sports Wires’ Patrick Conn taunted Porter Jr. with the Steelers with the 17th overall selection.
Let’s break this down.
The Steelers already have a strong defense. So adding a player like Porter Jr. would only make them that much better.
However, the Steelers also need a true number one cornerback in their back room.
That’s where Porter Jr. comes in.
Many of the Steelers’ current corners have the talent, but they’re also unproven.
Porter Jr. also offers the Steelers another focus in their defense and a leader in their cornerback space.
Let’s also not forget his father, Joey Porter Sr., who played for the Steelers for several years and had a lot of success with them.
The Steelers could also potentially lose both starting corners to free hands this offseason.
Cameron Sutton is slated to become a free agent, and while William Jackson III isn’t on his feet until 2024, he has potential for 2023.
So the Steelers could be struggling and in desperate need of a corner.
If they kept Jackson III for the final year of his contract, Porter Jr. could come in and be the true number one in the corner the Steelers so desperately need.
Right now, it would be a bit surprising to see the Steelers let both Sutton and Jackson run free, especially with how much they’re struggling in their cornerback space.
However, if they pull on from both corners, that’s a deep enough secondary draft that makes them difficult to address the cornerback position in the spring.
For the Steelers back room as a whole, imagine putting Porter Jr. on the same team as Minkah Fitzpatrick. Wow, that’s funny and pretty scary to think about.
Also, the Steelers need a corner to stop star wide receivers in the AFC North like Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Amari Cooper.
The Steelers may already have two of the NFL’s top 10 defensive players in Minkah Fitzpatrick and TJ Watt. Adding a player like Porter Jr. would help improve his side room and stop players like Chase, Higgins and Coopers twice a season.
It’s also worth noting that another key team, the Baltimore Ravens, could be in trouble. Why? Well, not only because they could lose Lamar Jackson, but also because they could lose both Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey to free reign in the next few seasons.
Joey Porter Jr. would be the perfect pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire