Steelers Mock Trades: Cowboys, Lions, Giants Deals for Joey Porter Jr.

The trade rumors and speculation surrounding Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has really ramped up over the past few days.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on September 27 that both the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys inquired about the availability of Porter Jr. Furthermore, there's been a fair amount of buzz connecting the New York Giants to the 26-year-old, who has yet to make his season debut for the Steelers.

Porter Jr.'s status for Pittsburgh's Week 4 matchup with the Cleveland Browns is up in the air, though it's certainly noteworthy that he's been listed as a full participant in practice on the injury report for the first time this year over the past two days.

The Steelers would prefer for Porter Jr. to return to the field and provide quite the boost to their defense.

If he still isn't out there against Cleveland and isn't willing to play out the final year of his rookie contract without a new deal in hand, however, what could Pittsburgh receive in return for Porter Jr. from the Giants, Lions and Cowboys?

New York Giants

The Giants are the most peculiar of the prospective landing spots for Porter Jr.

They do have a clear need at cornerback, however. The group wasn't in good shape heading into the season, and since Week 1, Paulson Adebo has been placed on the reserve/injured list, while Deonte Banks has missed two straight games with a calf injury.

Forced to rely heavily on Greg Newsome II and rookie Colton Hood, Porter Jr. would be a huge upgrade for New York. It isn't much of a contender despite being 2-1 because Jaxson Dart and Brian Burns suffered season-ending injuries, but the assumption is that Porter Jr. would sign an extension with the organization upon being traded.

It seems unlikely that the Steelers are going to bring back a first-rounder in any in-season Porter Jr. trade, though the Giants' second-rounder in the 2027 NFL Draft is still an incredibly valuable asset that could make moving him worth it while also netting a fourth-rounder in 2028.

Detroit Lions

Detroit has long felt like the most logical fit for Porter Jr.

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's system would allow for him to play more man coverage (20.8 percent of the time as compared to 12.9 percent for Pittsburgh under Patrick Graham, per SumerSports). Furthermore, the Lions have allowed the most passing yards per game so far this season at 299.3, showcasing their need for secondary help.

The window of contention for Detroit is no longer as wide-open as it appeared just two years ago, and thus time might be ticking for Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes and company to put a roster together that can compete for a Super Bowl.

Again, Pittsburgh is going to find it tough to pry a first-round pick away from any team regardless of how desperate they may be. It would still receive a second-rounder and fifth-rounder in next year's draft plus an injury-prone former second-round cornerback in Rakestraw, who put together a nice performance in Week 3 against the New York Jets after being inactive for the first two weeks of the season.

Dallas Cowboys

The Steelers and Cowboys have been common trade partners, with both George Pickens and Broderick Jones going from the former to the latter since the 2025 offseason.

Dallas, much like Detroit, has profiled as one of the top destinations for Porter Jr. should Pittsburgh eventually decide to move him.

Defensive coordinator Christian Parker runs a good amount of man coverage (25.5 percent, 12th-most in NFL per SumerSports). The Cowboys have allowed the third-most yards per game this year at 387.0, though, and their cornerback room simply isn't cutting it.

Dallas only owns five picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, which includes Pittsburgh's own fourth-rounder, so any offer may have to include selections in the 2028 NFL Draft, as was the case in our mock trade with the Giants.

Ironically enough, the Steelers would send the Cowboys' own 2027 fifth-rounder back to them, which was originally acquired in the Pickens trade, alongside Porter Jr. in this hypothetical scenario while Dallas' 2027 second-rounder and 2028 third-rounder would make up the return package.

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