Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. did not crack ESPN’s top-10 cornerback rankings. He was named honorable mention, however.
NFL executives, coaches and scouts conducted the ranking. The top-10 cornerbacks listed were Pat Surtain II, Derek Stingley Jr., Christian Gonzalez, Devon Whiterspoon, Trent McDuffie, Quinyon Mitchell, Denzel Ward, Jaycee Horn, Sauce Gardner and Cooper DeJean.
“He takes all the stress off the pass defense. He matches the best receiver in man coverage, and teams roll away from him in zone, an NFC defensive coach said of Porter.
Porter has already established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the league during his three seasons in Pittsburgh, recording 165 tackles, one sack, 31 passes defended and three interceptions.
He has also allowed just one touchdown pass in his NFL career, and that was in 2023 as a rookie.
Porter revealed at minicamp that he expects to be paid as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks.
“Definitely, I feel like I was an elite guy since I’ve been in this League, and I’m happy that I’m getting the respect that I feel like I’m owed,” Porter said.
Former Buffalo Bills general manager and Pittsburgh Steelers executive Doug Whaley has one big concern with Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.‘s contract situation. And that’s Porter’s lack of interceptions. He only has three career interceptions, one in each season since he’s entered the league. Whaley thinks this factor could be a big talking point in negotiations with the Steelers.
“The biggest issue I would have, and I’m sure the Steelers would have, is the lack of interceptions. To me, to be considered in the top five, you have to get your hands on the ball. And he’s got a history from, since he was in Penn State, of not creating turnovers,” Whaley said on 93.7 The Fan. “And that’s probably where the big difference is where he wants to be. ‘Hey, if you look at my [Pro Football Focus] stats, I haven’t allowed a touchdown. I haven’t done this and this,’ and he’s got great stats. But to me, to elevate yourself to be someone where you’re gonna be on the cover of Madden, you have to get at least five-plus interceptions. And he doesn’t do it and hasn’t done it and I don’t think he’s the type of player to do it.
“Is he a shutdown corner? Yes. But is he a take the ball away corner that gets you paid in that top 30-plus range? That’s where I think is gonna be the battling point. And it’s gonna be interesting to see who wins that conversation.”
In addition to lack of INTs, the biggest knock against Porter throughout the start of his NFL career has been his penalties. But he even cut those nearly in half in 2025, going from 17 in 2024 to just nine a season ago.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Joey Porter Jr. Gets Disrespected in ESPN Cornerback Rankings
