Joey Porter Jr., a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, continues to offer optimistic advice to Cory Trice Jr.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason team activities began this week, and supporters are delighted to see the black and gold back on the field. Following another successful draft in 2024, the Steelers are left with only a few spots that may require more attention than others. The two most prominent players right now are wide receiver and cornerback. Pittsburgh will need some cornerbacks to come up in 2024, and Steelers defense Joey Porter Jr. is very confident in Cory Trice Jr.
Porter and Trice both were selected by Pittsburgh in the 2023 NFL Draft, but only one of them was able to get onto the field. Porter Jr, a second-rounder, and Trice Jr, a seventh, have similar physical traits, which gives some promise for Trice considering how well Porter’s rookie season went. Very early on in 2023 training camp had an apparent and unfortunate knee injury that would ultimately end his rookie season.
Trice’s early injury brought an immense amount of disappointment not only for the fans, but for the coaches too. Coming out of Purdue, Trice’s size brought a lot of optimism and speculation. Most fans were hoping he would turn out as a starter in 2023, and emerge as one of the biggest steals in the draft. Now, the team is back to square one, which is seeing if he can turn out to be an asset to the defense. Trice isn’t fully cleared yet of his previous injury, but he’s dang close.
Porter is the only current cornerback on the squad that has proven himself and will be on the field routinely in 2024. This opens up a lot of opportunities for others on the roster, including Trice.
Porter was asked by the media at Organized Team Activities this week about the guidance he has given Trice. “I’ve been telling him the same thing: if I can do it, you can do it. Basically, we have the same physical type. We know what we’re capable of on the field, and we’re simply attempting to achieve it together.”
According to the team’s official website, Trice stands 6’3″ and weighs 206 pounds. Porter is listed as 6’2″ and 193 pounds, but he has indicated that he has gained weight to around 205. Steeler Nation has another reason to be happy about Porter’s development, as well as the prospect that he and Trice may become Pittsburgh’s cornerbacks of the future.
The Steelers’ cornerback competition will be one to watch, with Porter being CB1. After that, it’s all question marks. Porter will most likely be followed by Donte Jackson, who was acquired in a trade for wideout Diontae Johnson. We want players like Trice to come up and be a trustworthy CB3. If Trice is not available, Anthony Averett, Beanie Bishop Jr., Ryan Watts, or Darius Rush will be forced to step up.
Aside from the current quarterback rivalry, Pittsburgh’s corner room will be one of the most intriguing this offseason. The Steelers’ defense is just a few pieces away from being the most dominant in the NFL, and one of them is cornerback depth. With the release of the revised 2024 schedule, the Steelers will face a daunting challenge following their bye week. Pittsburgh will face some of the league’s most explosive offenses over the next eight weeks, and a weak cornerback room would be a significant issue.
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