Former Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Vince Williams would love to see Joey Porter Jr. carry on his father’s legacy in the Black and Gold. And after Porter’s promising performance in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine, that very well could come to fruition at 17th overall. The Steelers need a true CB1 and Porter fits that description.
“Lil Peezy to the Steelers. I need it,” Williams tweeted.
Joey Porter Sr. coached the Steelers outside linebackers from 2015-2018, which was at the same time that Williams was with the team. Porter was also a defensive assistant with the Steelers in 2014.
Williams isn’t the only one who thinks Porter would be an ideal fit in Pittsburgh, as a slew of mock drafts have the rangy physical cornerback out of Penn State slotted to the Steelers. Most of the fanbase also wants Porter since his dad was an iconic figure on the early 2000s Steelers defenses. From 1999-2006, Joey Porter Sr. recorded 60 sacks and 17 forced fumbles, earning Pro Bowl nominations in 2002, 2004 and 2005, along with being named first-team All-Pro in 2002 and to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team. He certainly was one of the most feared pass rushers of his era. He also was one of the best trash-talkers.
Joey Porter Jr. is lot more quiet, but he definitely plays with an edge on the field. Along with being a shutdown corner, he’s not afraid to get his nose dirty in run defense. Standing at 6-foot-2, 193 pounds, Porter ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and had some of the largest hands (10 inches) and arm length (34 inches) of any cornerback at the combine. Joey Porter Sr. told the NFL Network that he didn’t have his best day running, as he was running in the 4.3 range for the most part leading up to the event. Porter Sr. said Jr. will run a lot better at his Penn State pro day.
According to Next Gen Stats, Joey Porter Jr. is the latest high-end defensive back prospect to share his name with a father who had a Pro Bowl-level NFL career. Porter joins Patrick Surtain II, Asante Samuel Jr. and Antoine Winfield Jr. All four of these defensive back prospects earned at least an 80 overall draft score. Bloodlines are not everything, but they definitely do matter. Sometimes the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The Steelers also love players who have NFL bloodlines. I mean, they had four sets of brothers on their roster at one point last year. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if Porter ends up with the Steelers when the dusts settles in late April. He grew up around the team and understands the culture and standard. It wouldn’t be a legacy pick, either. Porter is a really good player and would fill a gaping need at cornerback.
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