Joey Porter Jr. was always meant to be a Steeler
Was there ever a doubt?Joey Porter Jr. grew up with his dad leading the Steelers' defense throughout the 2000s. He's been ingrained with the Steeler way from before he hit puberty, spending time around Pittsburgh's practice facility and locker room as the middle child to Joey Sr. It wouldn't feel right if he didn't end […]
Was there ever a doubt?
Joey Porter Jr. grew up with his dad leading the Steelers' defense throughout the 2000s. He's been ingrained with the Steeler way from before he hit puberty, spending time around Pittsburgh's practice facility and locker room as the middle child to Joey Sr.
It wouldn't feel right if he didn't end up back in Pittsburgh. And that's exactly where he's going after being selected 32nd overall.
Porter is set to fall in line as the next great cornerback for the Steel Curtain. His skillset aligns perfectly with what the Steelers value at the position, fitting in as a press-man corner with imposing physicality.
The fit is perfect, obviously, but there's an added bonus for Pittsburgh. They got a player they could've easily selected with their first-round pick. Instead, they took an aggressive route to grab their left tackle of the future in Broderick Jones, and landed Porter after he unexpectedly fell out of the first round entirely.
Porter ended up being one of the few players invited to the draft and didn't hear his name called in the first round. He left Kansas City to go back home, where he ended up anyways on Friday night.
"I forgot all about last night. I’m ready," Porter told reporters about falling into Round 2. "I have a chip on my shoulder. I’m trying to prove myself. It added a little more fuel to the fire. It gives me greater reason to put on for Steeler Nation and my pops.”
It was almost lazy to mock Porter Jr. to the Steelers throughout the last few months. Sometimes the easy pick is the best pick. Porter knows what it takes to succeed in Pittsburgh, the blueprint was laid to him from his childhood. If there's any player in this draft who can fulfill his potential in the black and gold, it's the son of Joey Porter.
