Steelers CB 'knocking the rust off' with hopes of shadowing WR1s again

The Steelers are excited to see if cornerback Joey Porter Jr. can take his game to another level following a promising rookie campaign.

Some would say the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft even picked up where he left off last season during Friday night's preseason opener against the Houston Texans.

Porter Jr. had good coverage during most of his limited snaps, but he was called for a pass interference on the third defensive series while guarding wide receiver Robert Woods.

The 24-year-old is no stranger to being penalized with a tendency to put his hands on receivers while the ball is still in the air, but he didn't agree with his latest call.

"I had a call, didn't like it," Porter Jr. said . "It's preseason, gotta work on stuff like that. So we're just gonna keep grinding every day."

Porter Jr. must continue trying to remove that out of his film while still maintaining his physical style of play, but he doesn't think he's completely back quite yet.

"It definitely takes some time, knocking the rust off," Porter Jr. added . "Been out here for a couple weeks, been taking some good strides, just gotta keep working."

Once Porter Jr. has knocked off all his rust, the next question that will need to be answered is if he will shadow opposing teams' No. 1 wide receivers as he did during the second half of last year.

That is still to be determined but he hopes that will be the case once again.

"I would hope so. I think so. I really don't know," Porter Jr. stated .

While Pittsburgh could ask him to shadow again, the team has the luxury of not forcing him to do so after trading for veteran cornerback Donte Jackson this offseason.

Jackson should be an upgrade over what the Steelers had opposite Porter Jr. last season and the two seem to be meshing well thus far.

"Been a big fan of him since a long time, so now I get to play on the side of him. It's a great feeling," Porter Jr. finished . "I learn a lot from him, just been a sponge and trying to adapt my game."

If Porter Jr. can learn to minimize his penalties, he could be one of the best players at his position in the NFL.

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.