Joey Porter Jr. Feels He Can Impact NFL Defense Like Sauce Gardner

Joey Porter Jr. is one of the top cornerbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft class. The son of former NFL linebacker Joey Porter, he has pro pedigree and an arsenal of coverage skills that project to make him a solid player at the next level.

Speaking with reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, the former Nittany Lion drew a comparison between himself and one of the league’s top young cornerbacks -- Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner of the New York Jets.

“People say our game is similar,” Porter said. “I could see that a little bit, so just to see him be able to do what he did with the impacts as a rookie, I feel like I could do the same. And, I'm really excited to go out there and just show my talent.”

The talented corner measures favorably to the Jets’ budding star. Both are 6-foot-2, with similar Relative Athletic Scores. Gardner is coming off a banner season for the Jets, one that saw him win the NFL Rookie of the Year award.

If Porter is able to come close to that production, it will be a successful investment for whichever team elects to draft him. At Penn State, he finished his career with only one interception, but logged 20 pass breakups and 113 career tackles.

Another player Porter looks up to is Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

“Love how he plays, love his physicality and stuff like that,” Porter said.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout, spoke highly of Porter’s production at Penn State.

“He can work through wide receivers to get to the ball,” Jeremiah said. “He can high-point it. He is more play the ball, poke it away, get your hands on the ball. I wish he would finish a little bit better, catch more of them -- but he is always in a good position.”

Porter’s standing among the corners in the draft has fluctuated. There are several appealing options in the draft, including Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon and hybrid defensive back Brian Branch (out of Alabama).

Among the teams with a need at the cornerback position are the Detroit Lions, which hold two first-round picks.

The Lions struggled to find stability at corner in 2022, cycling through a number of players, such as Jeff Okudah, Jerry Jacobs, Mike Hughes, Will Harris and Amani Oruwariye.

Oruwariye, Harris and Hughes are set to be free agents this offseason. Okudah is a former first-round pick who has struggled with production, while Jacobs is still finding his footing as a 2021 undrafted free agent.

The Lions currently are slated to pick sixth and 18th overall, with five picks inside the draft’s first 85 picks.

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