As we are just under a month away from the college football season, we also highlight some of the notable draft prospects that will headline Penn State’s 2023 draft class.
The Draft Wire has one notable name headed to the Detroit Lions with the 29th overall pick in their latest mock draft. Who might that name be? That player would be Penn State corner Joey Porter Jr.
This pick would make plenty of sense for Detroit, who has struggled to find their identity in their entire secondary.
The last Big Ten corner the Lions selected was Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah, who has struggled to make a name for himself in the Lions’ cornerback room.
Porter comes from an athletic background, with his dad, Joey Porter, being a former NFL linebacker. Porter Jr. is certainly near the top of the 2023 cornerback class, as he has all the tangibles to be a productive NFL starter.
One trait of his that stands out is his physicality. James Franklin has always done a terrific job with recruiting players that physical in their cornerback room along with a high motor, and that is exactly what Porter Jr. brings to the table.
The Lions are in desperate need of a corner that can help them get over their struggling hump. They spent a few years with former Falcons corner Desmond Trufant, who didn’t pan out too much for them. Their current starting corners are Okudah and former Penn State corner Amani Oruwariye, who showed plenty of flashes during the 2021 season.
In their final secondary grades from last season, PFF ranked the Lions near the bottom of the league at 30. Okudah will be coming off of a ruptures Achilles he suffered in week 1. They also had to move players around in their secondary, like Will Harris from safety to an outside corner.
There are three teams that have been getting quite the hype this offseason, and the Lions are one of them. The Lions have drafted solid over the last two years, headlined by taking Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson with the second over pick this year.
The Lions continue their rebuild led by Dan Campbell, a head coach that has become so easy to root for. It is very likely the Lions will not be taking last in their division.
One might think of the Chicago Bears, who not only have a new head coach in former Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, but also a new GM in Ryan Pole from the Chiefs front office.
Porter Jr. joins the list of talented corners in this upcoming draft class, headlined by Georgia’s Keele Ringo.
There has never been a Penn State corner selected in the first round. If he pulls it off, which it is definitely possible, Porter Jr. would be the first one to do so.
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