Steelers draft son of franchise great in second round
Apr 27, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. walks the NFL Draft Red Carpet before the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers fans are getting a chance to recycle their jerseys.
With their second-round draft pick on Friday (No. 32 overall), the Steelers selected Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. He is the son of former Steelers great Joey Porter, who also played on defense as a linebacker.
With the 32nd pick in the 2023 #NFLDraft, we select CB Joey Porter Jr. pic.twitter.com/TMbiNPxu5P
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 28, 2023
JOEY PORTER JR. IS A STEELER.
📺: 2023 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/D3EqkrKLy4 pic.twitter.com/qgKDiWMLyX— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2023
Like father, like son ⛓
The Steelers draft Joey Porter Jr. with the 32 pick! pic.twitter.com/y1m1qfB1GI
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 28, 2023
The elder Porter played in Pittsburgh for eight seasons from 1999 to 2006. He earned three All-Pro selections and made three Pro Bowl teams with the Steelers, also starting on the team that won Super Bowl XL over the Seattle Seahawks in 2006. He was then selected as part of Pittsburgh’s All-Time Team in celebration of the franchise’s 75th anniversary in 2007 and later came back to the Steelers as their outside linebackers coach from 2015-18.
As for Porter Jr, who turns 23 in July, he had a four-year career at Penn State. He recorded 27 total tackles, 11 passes defended, and a forced fumble in ten games for the Nittany Lions last season. Though Porter Jr. has a long way to go to match his father’s production (as well as his trash talk), there is no better place for the exciting young cornerback to begin his NFL career.
