One of the top college prospects who is quite familiar with the Steelers’ practice facility on the South Side is on site for a pre-draft visit Thursday.
North Allegheny grad and Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is a visitor at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex as the Steelers continue to host prospects in advance of the NFL Draft next month.
Porter, because of his local ties, does not count against the 30-player allotment that each NFL team is permitted to host in the run-up to the draft.
Son of former Steelers linebacker and assistant coach Joey Porter, Porter Jr. is one of the top cornerback prospects in the draft and could be a target for the Steelers provided he is still on the board when the No. 17 overall pick arises.
Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez and Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon are the other cornerbacks vying with Porter to be the first one off the board.
Porter was named a second-team All-American in 2022 following his redshirt junior season at Penn State. He had 11 pass breakups in 10 starts, missing two games because of appendicitis and skipping the Rose Bowl to prepare for the draft.
After declaring for the draft, Porter has spent time at the Steelers’ complex working out under the tutelage of his father.
Although he is considered one of the top shutdown corners in his draft class, Porter had just one interception in three years as a starter at Penn State.
Other prospects who have met with the Steelers and count against the 30-player limit are Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz and Mississippi wide receiver Jonathan Mingo.
