It is officially the offseason in college football, and that also means we are one week closer to the 2023 NFL Draft. Penn State has a few notable prospects that could likely be selected in the first three rounds in the spring. One notable Nittany Lion that many have mocked in the first round is [autotag]Joey Porter Jr[/autotag][autotag][autotag].
To start off “Mock Draft Monday,” we take another look at a Nittany Lion featured in the first round.
Many of our features have been from The Draft Network. However, this week, we head over to The Draft Wire for their latest two-round mock draft.
There is one notable Nittany Lion mocked. To no surprise, it’s Porter Jr., heading to the Houston Texans with the 12th overall pick.
Let’s break this one down.
First, the Texans have two first-round picks this year from the Deshaun Watson trade. In this mock, they are taking Ohio State’s CJ Stroud with the second overall pick.
The Texans traded for Bradley Roby a few years ago and signed a three-year extension with the team. However, there are two things to note here. First, Roby is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023. Second, he is already 30 years old.
The Texans have started to get younger in their secondary room, taking Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre in last year’s draft. If you pair Porter Jr. with Stingley Jr., that would certainly be a fun duo full of potential.
The Texans have the draft capital to build for their future. But it seems hard to believe that this will be a short turnaround for them. As mentioned, the Texans have two first-round picks in this year’s draft. Their number two pick is hard to argue them not taking a quarterback. As for their 12th pick, they could really go a few different ways, as they need plenty of help.
If they do decide to go the cornerback, Porter Jr. would be a nice fit for a team looking for not only looking to build depth in their cornerback room, but also a team looking for another key focal point on their defense.
The Texans had a bottom three defense in the NFL this season, allowing an average of 209.3 passing yards per game to their opponents.
The AFC South is also a struggling division, with two of their four teams picking in the top 10 in this year’s draft.
The Texans are certainly on the positive trajectory in their secondary room, adding Stingley Jr. and Pitre in the 2022 draft. Bringing in Porter Jr. would only make them stronger.
Not only would Porter Jr. bring more youth in their secondary room, but he would also help sure up their cornerback room.
As mentioned, the Texans need a lot of help at multiple positions. They could go many different ways with their 12th overall pick. If they take a corner, Porter Jr. would be a nice fit for their secondary room that continues to build young.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.