2023 NFL Draft Preview: Scouting report on Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr

As previously discussed in a couple of prior scouting reports, cornerback is a position of need for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. In this article we are going to break down Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. to see if he can potentially be the answer across from Tariq Woolen.

The Seahawks have never taken a cornerback in Round 1 under Pete Carroll, but that hasn’t stopped mock drafters from predicting a corner to Seattle with the 20th overall pick.

Height - 6 foot 2 - Weight - 200 pounds

Games watched - 2021 Iowa, 2022 Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan

Previous cornerback scouting reports - Kelee Ringo, Christian Gonzalez

Strengths

• Off of the line of scrimmage, Porter Jr. uses his hands intelligently. He often strikes the receiver in the chest when pressing and goes for the occasional swipe move when they try and get their hands out in front. He is smart with how he uses his body in the first few steps of the route. If the receiver is running a vertical route, Porter Jr. guides them to the sideline in order to avoid getting stacked by the receiver, rather allowing him to stay in phase with them.
• His footwork off of the line is fantastic as his feet do not get loud, often letting the receiver show their route before he puts them in the ground to accelerate.
• In zone coverage Porter Jr. keeps his eyes in on the quarterback which allows him to break up and make a play on the ball. Paired with his very good football intelligence (7 on 1-9 scale) and route recognition he is able to impact multiple plays at the catch point.
• His footwork in zone coverage is solid as his feet never cross over, he is extremely fluid in his hips and light on his toes allowing him to transition in any direction with ease.
• He has fantastic physical attributes in his play strength and length.
• Porter Jr. has good (6) play speed allows him to reduce separation on any route which he has been beaten on.
• He recognizes screen passes quickly, triggering up to either make a tackle on the receiver or to completely seal off the edge, forcing them inside.
• Porter Jr. has good (6) ball skills which results in multiple PBU’s, although he only has one interception. He tracks the ball well on deep shots and does a great job of getting his head around to find the ball rather than running into the receiver.
• Porter Jr. is comfortable in navigating traffic on routes over the middle allowing him to stay in phase with the receiver rather than losing them by readjusting his path to them.
• Porter is very good (7) in run support. He does a great job of attacking the blockers outside shoulder and going up field to force the ball carrier to the inside rather than allowing them to gain the edge.
• He is a solid tackler, he at times goes high which leads to him giving up a few yards after first contact but he almost always makes the tackle.

Weaknesses

• On quick in-breaking routes, Porter Jr. can at times be put off by an up-field jab step opening up his outside hip a little too much.
• He does get grabby at times throughout the course of the route which does result in some pass interferences and holding penalties, but that is more so his play style rather than a panicky nature.
• When Porter Jr. does have his struggles in zone it is when he is put into conflict, which often results in him looking a little in between unsure on who to take.

Floor/ceiling - Porter Jr.’s great athleticism, good FBI (football intelligence), route recognition skills, stickiness in man and zone, versatility and very good hand usage give him the ceiling of an All-Pro corner. However, his grabby play style, susceptibility to quick jab steps off of the line and the fact he gives up a bit too much separation against slants gives him the floor of a third corner.

Grade - 6.7 - Solid starter on 1st day of his second season - High first round

Grade explanation - For me personally, Porter Jr. is the number one corner in this class and has the highest overall ceiling of any corner. He has everything you could possibly want in a corner from both a physical and mental standpoint. His size and athletic traits are fantastic, and he also pairs them with very good (7) mental toughness and FBI. Porter Jr. has the floor of a starter in part because he offers inside/outside flexion which most corners don’t coming out of college. He is also very refined, which also plays a role in his floor being higher than most. I see a more Day 1 ready corner in the former Nittany Lion, which is the reason he is a little ahead of Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez for me. He is not in the ‘Sauce’ Gardner class for me personally, who I gave a 7.0 to last season which is a rarer grade to give. Although, the overall ceilings of the two players are not far off.

Schematic fit - Porter Jr. projects best as a number one corner in a man coverage scheme because of his stickiness during the phase of the route. However, he would also excel in a zone coverage scheme due to his FBI, quick trigger and discipline. Porter Jr. is the type of corner who can have travel with an opposing team’s number one receiver even in the slot which he is more than capable of playing.

Player highlights