Nittany Lions cornerback flying under 2022 NFL Draft radar
Joey Porter Jr. has only played 12 career games at Penn State. But the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter has flashed potential at the cornerback position. The redshirt sophomore will have a chance to emerge as one of the top defensive backs in the Big Ten this season.
That’s why he landed on former Florida State and Steelers player Bryant McFadden’s list of most underrated NFL Draft prospects entering the 2021 season.
“He’s only played in 12 games to date, but his potential slaps you in the face when you watch him play,” McFadden wrote on CBSSports.com. “Ideal size (6-foot-2), speed and pedigree. I played with his dad in the league! Junior has a chance to be one of the best cornerbacks in the Big Ten and could be a household name by November.”
A third-team Big-Ten selection last season, Porter played and started in eight games. He finished the year with 33 tackles on the season along with two tackles for loss, one sack and four pass breakups. His best game came in Week 1 at Indiana when he notched five tackles, all solo stops, and registered his first career sack.
What Joey Porter brings to Penn State’s secondary
The Nittany Lions allowed 198.6 yards per game to opposing quarterback last season, which ranked second last season among all 14 Big Ten teams.
They’re expected to take the next step this season. Led by Porter, Penn State has a deep secondary, joined by fifth-year cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields and senior safety Jaquan Brisker.
Penn State finished just 4-5 last season and only tallied four interceptions. If Porter and the secondary wants to find success, they know the key is in facing turnovers in the passing game.
“We took that into account this year, this offseason, especially around spring,” he recently said. “We’ve been more in tune with getting the ball. We’re corners, we have to make plays to be playmakers. I feel like we’ve been doing that well in practice, and we’re trending in the right direction.”
Safety competition
Penn State head coach James Franklin has a bit of a safeties competition brewing in preseason camp, as the Nittany Lions have yet to name a second starter next to Brisker.
The senior remains the no-brainer option to start. But Franklin needs to figure out who will start next to the star safety.
“Obviously, Brisker has put himself in a position where we think he’s going to have a significant opportunity to make huge plays for us at the starting safety position,” Franklin said during an Aug. 10 press conference. “So, it’s really figuring out who’s that other guy.”
Brisker has done more than enough to both solidify the starting role and win over his head coach. The fifth-year senior earned All-American first-team honors from Pro Football Focus in 2020, while being named to the All-Big Ten third team by coaches. He had done more than enough to create a draft-worthy resume, but instead, he decided to return to school — all the more reason for Franklin to be proud of his top safety.
Junior Keaton Ellis, senior Ji’Ayir Brown, redshirt senior Jonathan ‘Tig’ Sutherland and redshirt sophomore Tyler Rudolph are all taking reps and in the mix for the job.