Joey Porter Jr. burst onto the scene as a rookie last season. He emerged as a legitimate CB1 capable of shadowing and locking down top receivers of all shapes, sizes, and skill sets. He didn’t receive his first start until Week 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but by his second start, he was following around opposing teams’ top receivers.
Mike Tomlin thought he was crazy when Porter first asked if he could shadow DeAndre Hopkins in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans. Tomlin rationalized it by saying that it would limit his exposure to tackling, but it quickly became clear that he deserved that role.