5 prospects linked to the Bengals in way-too-early mock drafts
4. Joey Porter Jr, Cornerback, Penn State
Selected by: Zack Patraw of Sports Illustrated
The name will be all too familiar for fans in Cincinnati. There is plenty of history and beef between Bengals fans and former Pittsburgh Steeler Joey Porter, both in his time as a player and also as a coach so it would be quite the sight to see his son line up with stripes on his helmet.
That said, Porter Jr. looks set to be one of the top-rated cornerbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft. He returns for his senior season in State College, having become a full-time starter halfway through his sophomore campaign.
Porter Jr. is long and physical, measuring in at 6’2″, and has lined up almost exclusively on the outside for Penn State. Porter Jr. has the speed to match the top receivers in the Big 10 but as with all bigger cornerbacks, he needs to show he can change direction and backpedal well enough vs NFL wideouts.
The biggest concern will be the 10 penalties he racked up in 2022. Porter is grabby and aggressive and if it is getting called at the college level you can be sure it will be a problem in the pros.
If the Bengals are selecting a round 1 cornerback then one of two things has happened — This year’s second-round selection Cam Taylor-Britt won’t have shown enough for the coaching staff to believe he can hold down an outside corner spot or Chidobe Awuzie has had another standout year meaning keeping him past his current deal becomes unaffordable.
Both are possibilities but fans will hope the Bengals won’t be returning to the secondary on opening night next year.