ALTOONA, Pa. -- It would be a cool story, no doubt about it. But will it happen?
Six or seven weeks ago, it seemed like a really good possibility that Penn State star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. could end up getting drafted by the Steelers, the team his father played for (1999-2006), won a Super Bowl with (XL) and later coached for (2015-18).
But that was when it looked like the struggling Steelers might pick around 10th or so in the first round of the NFL draft. The team surged late and wound up finishing 9-8, though, and will pick 17th in the first round.
Will Porter still be around at that spot? That's really the big question.
If so, it would make perfect sense for the Steelers to pick him. The team needs a cornerback, no question, and also has a major need for an offensive tackle. Most mock drafts at this point have the Steelers going with either a cornerback or tackle with their first pick.
Porter is a toolsy a 6-foot-2, 194-pounder with great speed, size and length. Everyone knew he could do big things at Penn State, but he struggled in 2021 with a lot of penalties and poor technique in coverage.
Porter came back with an exceptional 2022 season, getting off to a great start with six pass breakups in the season opener at Purdue. He continued to play well all season as a shutdown cornerback and was named second-team All-American.
It became evident midway through the season that Porter would declare early for the draft, since his stock was soaring. He missed a couple of games with appendicitis, returned for the regular-season finale and then opted out of the Rose Bowl to avoid injury.
Again, there's no question that Porter is set to be picked in the first round of the draft, as long as he tests well between now and then. When that happens, it will mark the first time in Penn State history that a defensive back will be selected in the first round.
At NFL Mock Draft Databse, the consensus spot for Porter as of now is No. 10, where the Eagles pick. That consensus has Porter as the first cornerback to go off the board.
But that might not be the case. And if it's not, then the Steelers could perhaps end up having a chance to take Porter at 17.
Depending on the outlet, Porter is ranked as high as the No. 1 cornerback available, to as low as No. 5, which seems too low. The other top cornerbacks are Oregon's Christian Gonzalez, Georgia's Kelee Ringo, South Carolina's Cam Smith, Illinois' Devon Witherspoon and Utah's Clark Phillips III.
Where Porter ends up will obviously depend on how teams rank him compared to the other top cornerbacks. And if he falls to third or fourth on the list, then it's very possible he could still be there when the Steelers are on the clock.
Pro Football Network's latest mock draft, by Ian Cummings, has Porter at 17 to the Steelers. Then again, it's a little hard to take that mock seriously since he has former Penn State quarterback Will Levis of Kentucky going No. 1 overall. Sure, Levis' stock is high, but it still seems extremely unlikely that he would be the top overall pick.
A handful of other mock drafts also have Porter going to the Steelers at 17, including 33rd Team and The Draft Network.
There's still a lot of time between now and the draft, and opinions on prospects will change with how they fare at the NFL combine and pro days. Porter can move ahead or fall behind the other top cornerbacks based on how he tests and interviews, meaning he could end up going anywhere from, say, 8th to 25th overall.
If he's there at 17, would you like to see the Steelers take him? Let us know in the comments.
