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Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. comments on team's CB situation
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers put in some serious effort to upgrade the defense throughout the 2025 offseason. Youth was injected into the defensive front as Pittsburgh spent three of its first four draft picks in 2025 on that area, and the organization targeted the secondary in free agency (as well as the trade market). 

This was seen as the franchise brought in Darius Slay and then completed a trade with the Miami Dolphins to acquire Jalen Ramsey. That duo added to a cornerback room that already included Joey Porter Jr. makes it one of the better cornerbacks groups in the league, and it will likely elevate the defense.

Porter has shown a ton of potential up until this point in his career. He has put on great performances against some of the league's best wide receivers, but he has had some trouble in some areas. He continues to get better, and the veteran leadership from Slay and Ramsey should only help that. The young cornerback went from being the top guy in the room to having to take a backseat to Ramsey, which is something he was asked about when speaking with Missi Matthews on the sideline during Pittsburgh's preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I'm definitely one of those guys that did not like that," Porter said about taking a backseat to Ramsey. "But [head coach Mike Tomlin] sat us down. He told us what it is, and I'm gonna get my fair share with the ones, so I'm not mad at it. I'm gonna get my opportunities, and when I do, I'm gonna just make my plays."

The young cornerback understands Ramsey's greatness, and he acknowledged that the older veteran is going to get priority when it comes to matching up with top wide receivers. Porter wishes that was him, but he is going to have to wait his turn. He will still get some chances to line up across from some of the best receivers in the league, and he is focusing on making plays when they come to him.

Ramsey spoke about how he respects Porter's competitive mindset and how he has been approaching the situation at cornerback. He acknowledged that he is still the main guy in the room, but loves that Porter is trying to compete and take the top responsibility on a week in, week out basis. 

This should be the best the cornerback position has been for the Steelers in quite some time. Slay is older, but he was an impactful member of a Super Bowl champion defense in 2024. Ramsey has versatility and is expected to play on the outside, in the slot, and some free safety, while Porter is expected to take another jump in Year 3. That top three is arguably better than any other team's in the NFL, and paired with the pass rush in Pittsburgh, it could be lethal.

Porter was drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, which means he becomes eligible for an extension after the 2025 season. He needs to have a big year and prove he can be a consistent, lockdown cornerback in the NFL. He has the potential to see a big pay day if he can have a good year. He was the 32nd overall pick in 2023, but due to there only being 31 picks in the first round that year, he is technically a second-round selection who the organization cannot pick up a fifth-year option on. This wound up benefitting Porter, as he can get to the bigger pay day a year earlier than first-round picks.

This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

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