B/R Mock Draft has Patriots taking huge cornerback

In a recent Bleacher Report mock draft, the New England Patriots were mocked a top cornerback with their first round pick.  Would this be a decent pick by the Patriots?  B/R mocked Joey Porter Jr. to the team with their 14th overall pick.

But, who is Joey Porter Jr.?  Well, as you may be able to guess, he is the son of Joey Porter, a former All Pro linebacker and Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Porter played in the NFL from 1999-2011 and has also been a coach at the NFL level as well.

Porter had quite the reputation in the NFL and was a darn good player, but will his offspring follow in his father’s footsteps?

JPJ is a redshirt junior who played his college football at Penn State.  What stands out immediately about him is his size, and that’s something that New England needs with their cornerbacks.  He’s  6’2 1/2, 193 pounds, and has absolute wings, with 34 inch arms and 10 inch hands.

Naturally being this size as a DB, he’s strong and physical, which might be perfect for Bill Belichick’s defenses.  He’s also a sensational athlete as well, posting a 4.46 40 yard dash, 35 inch vertical jump, and 10 foot, 9 inch broad jump.

Seventeen reps of 225 on the bench press is also nothing to scoff at, either.

Among cornerbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft, Porter Jr is ranked as the 4th best, according to NFL.com’s scouting rankings, behind Christian Gonzalez, Brian Branch, and Devon Witherspoon.

I don’t mind this pick at all, as Porter Jr. fills a huge area of need for the Patriots.  He clearly isn’t the top cornerback or defensive prospect in the draft, but I think his size, physicality, and ability to fill the need for the Pats makes him a logical choice.

Perhaps fans would prefer them take a wide receiver or tackle, but keeping the defense in tact with the uncertainty of the offense is a solid idea.