NFL Draft 2023: Pittsburgh Steelers choose cornerback Joey Porter Jr as top second-round pick
- Published
Joey Porter Jr - pictured with his father and other family members during a Penn State game - was the 32nd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers chose cornerback Joey Porter Jr as the first pick of round two of the NFL draft - 24 years after selecting his father.
Porter Jr made 114 tackles in 35 games over four seasons with Penn State.
His dad, also named Joey, was part of the Steelers side that won the Super Bowl in 2005.
Porter's former Penn State team-mate, quarterback Will Levis - overlooked in the first round - was Friday's second pick, taken by the Tennessee Titans.
Concerns over a toe injury were reportedly behind the reluctance of teams to take Levis higher up in the draft and he is expected to start as back-up to Ryan Tannehill.
The Carolina Panthers, who selected quarterback Bryce Young as the overall first pick on Thursday, added further to their offense by picking wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, from Ole Miss.
Levis was the only quarterback picked during the second round although the Detroit Lions did choose Tennessee product Hendon Hooker as the fifth pick in the third round.
Porter 'coming home' to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, who narrowly missed out on a play-off place last season, opted to beef up their defense by signing Porter Jr, who went to both high school and college in Pennsylvania.
In 2022, the 22-year-old did not allow a touchdown and conceded just one play of more than 15 yards.
His father, an outside linebacker, was a four-time Pro Bowler and played for the Steelers for eight seasons before later moving to the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals.
"It's not the people in the building or his dad, he's basically coming home," said Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
"He has got a lot of really good attributes, I am really glad we were able to get him.
"We are looking forward to him having an opportunity to help us win games this year."