Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. makes strong statistical case as top 5 NFL cornerback
Is Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. actually a top 5 NFL cornerback? We dive into the advanced stats from his 2025 season to see how his elite third-down coverage and league-leading passer rating allowed are changing the game for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. makes strong statistical case as top 5 NFL cornerback originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Is Joey Porter Jr. a top five cornerback in the NFL? During a recent appearance on the Blueprint Podcast , the Pittsburgh Steelers ' rising star made that exact claim, noting that while critics often focus on his penalties, his ability to erase an opponent's top receiving threat remains among the league's elite.
While the shutdown corner label is a frequent debate for fans in Pittsburgh and across the league, a look at the 2025 advanced metrics shows that Porter Jr. has the numbers to back up his talk. 3rd down forced incompletion rate Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The hallmark of a high-level cornerback is the ability to get the defense off the field when the stakes are highest.
In 2025, among 63 NFL cornerbacks with at least 115 third-down coverage snaps, Joey Porter Jr. ranked 2nd in the NFL with a 35. 3% forced incompletion rate .