By all accounts, Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. had an excellent rookie season. 

Holding his own against every opposing team's best WR, if not shutting them down entirely, Peezy Jr. already believes he's the best corner in the league. 

But according to Destin and Adams and James Foster of A to Z Sports, Porter's rookie year could have, and frankly should have been even better:

Porter Grades Out with A+ for Rookie Season

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"I'm going to say A+ for Joey Porter Jr.," said James Foster of A to Z Sports Film Room during the latest edition of The Football Room Podcast. "I think he was the best outside rookie corner by a pretty clear margin. I think he's already one of the five to seven best press corners in the NFL….

"…He's lining up against true number-one receivers and just completely shutting them down. He had some issues with penalties but he's a very physical player. Amari Cooper got him on a few bad reps but he's just a smothering presence on the outside who can end routes before they even get off the line of scrimmage…

"…I might even consider taking Joey Porter Jr. over Devon Witherspoon [Fifth overall pick in 2023]. That's how excited I was by his rookie season."

Fully agreeing with Foster, it's hard to find many blemishes on Porter Jr.'s rookie film. After winning the game for Pittsburgh with a game-sealing interception against the Ravens in Week 5, Porter would make his first start after the bye week against the Rams in Week 7. 

And while he showed significant development and high levels of play from there on out, starting him from Week 1 would have been even more advantageous:

"I'm willing to give Joey Porter Jr. an A plus even though for some reason, Pittsburgh felt the need not to play him early," said Destin Adams of A to Z Sports NFL Draft and A to Z Sports Indianapolis Colts. "They felt the need to rotate him early on and make him earn the starting role later…

"…I've been told that's what Pittsburgh likes to do that with rookies, and I get it, but there wasn't a player on the roster to warrant taking snaps away from the kid. I think that's probably the reason that I still have this outlook where I'd probably take [Giants CB and 25th overall pick in the 2023 draft Deonte] Banks over Porter in a redraft right now…

"…That's because I got to see more from Banks and I'd have to see more of those flashes from Porter and the Steelers kind of withheld that from me, which for some reason they did with both Porter and Broderick Jones."

"They did the same thing with Keeanu Benton," added Foster. He was one of the best rookie pass rushers regardless of position but they really eased him into the lineup and he never really had a full-time role but that's that's just how the Steelers do it with rookies for whatever reason."

"Right, good draft class either way, but you would love to look back on it as those three guys having three of the best rookie seasons out of any rookie just because you play them more," said Adams. "But big sophomore season for all those guys, really excited for Pittsburgh and their 2024 class as well. I guess we'll see how they play those guys."

Pittsburgh would likely argue that safeguarding Porter Jr. against being a plug and play starter helped him mentally as they eased him in, but the truth is, (as Adams alluded to) Porter was the best CB on the roster, and that was known after the first week of training camp. 

So while Pittsburgh would probably stay true to their process if they had to do 2023 over again (and they are so far with the 2024 rookies during OTAs,) it's tough to argue that starting Porter in Week 1 would have hurt him or stunted his growth, when in reality, him sitting was probably part of the reason why he was merely a nominee for DROY and not the winner. 

For the full list of 2023 first-round NFL Draft grades from The Football Room and much more A to Z Sports Film Room content, click here. 

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