Hogs Haven takes a look at 2023 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders
Joey Porter, Jr., CB
School: Penn State | Conference: Big Ten
College Experience: RS Junior | Age: 22
Height / Weight: 6’2” / 193 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 1st Round
Player Comparison: Jaycee Horn
College Statistics
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2019 | Penn State | Big Ten | FR | CB | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2020 | Penn State | Big Ten | FR | CB | 8 | 24 | 9 | 33 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2021 | Penn State | Big Ten | SO | CB | 13 | 39 | 11 | 50 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| *2022 | Penn State | Big Ten | SR | CB | 10 | 21 | 6 | 27 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career | Penn State | 86 | 27 | 113 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Player Overview
The son of Pittsburgh Steeler star linebacker Joey Porter, Joey Porter, Jr. has been working to make a name for himself on the football field. He received varsity letters in not only football, but also track and field. He was a team captain as a senior and received many statewide accolades in Pennsylvania as he led his team to a conference championship. He committed to Penn State over several schools including his father’s alma mater, Colorado State.
Porter Jr. redshirted in 2019 and only appeared in a few games before becoming a significant contributor in 2020. He would start each of the eight games in the shortened season and began earning a reputation as a physical man coverage cornerback. That reputation grew in the following year as he had his most tackles in a season as a Nittany Lion and his sole interception. In his final seasons, teams generally shied away from testing Porter, Jr. When they did, he broke up 11 passes and QBs only had a passer rating of 63.6.
Strengths
- Tall, long corner with exceptional arm length
- Fantastic in press with strong punch to disrupt routes
- Length and speed allows him to successfully play trail technique
- Good recovery speed if beat initially by receiver; rarely beast deep
- Willing tackler
Weaknesses
- High backpedal can make transitions difficult
- Struggles with quick change of direction, causing him to grab
- Timing of breaks on the ball inconsistent
- Lack of ball production is concerning
Let’s see his work
Joey Porter Jr. is a CB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.71 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 65 out of 2212 CB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/caNXQblncz pic.twitter.com/14uCNKTVSJ
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 14, 2023
How he fits on the Commanders
The Commanders are in an interesting place at cornerback. They have designated starters on the outside in Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste, but both have issues that need to be addressed. Fuller is entering a contract year and approaching 30 years old. St-Juste has struggled to stay healthy enough to contribute. It makes sense for the team to upgrade the cornerback position in this draft. Joey Porter, Jr. has elite size to go along with an impressive athletic profile. The question is whether what he does best fits the Commanders’ defense. Washington plays a lot of zone coverage including Cover 3, a scheme with which Porter, Jr. is familiar. However, Porter. Jr. is at his best in press man coverage and unless the Commanders plan to use him that way, I don’t think they would be making the most of his talents. Joey Porter, Jr. can be a good outside cornerback in Washington, but unless the Commanders change some of their coverage schemes, I do not think they will unlock his fullest potential.