Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499919
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M As a redshirt junior at Penn State, Porter had 27 tackles (21 solo), 11 pass breakups and a fumble recovery. His fi- nal season was interrupted by appendi- citis, but he started 10 games and was one of the key players on a PSU team that ranked second in the FBS in pass- efficiency defense with a 103.2 rating. The draft may not have gone the way he had hoped, but for Porter, the end result was more than satisfactory. "I just want to thank the Rooney fam- ily, Coach [Mike] Tomlin and the whole organization for picking me and trust- ing me for Steelers Nation," he said. "I'm here, and I'm ready." JAMES FRANKLIN SAYS: "Joey has all the tools to be a dominant cor- nerback at the next level. He'll learn and grow quickly into a very productive player for the Steelers. Joey played at an elite level, which led to him being an All-American. He is a smart football player who made some huge plays in key moments of big games for us." T. FRANK CARR'S ANALYSIS: During his time at Penn State, Porter Jr. did his best work in Cover 1, or man coverage. His 34-inch arms, ultra-ag- gressive playing style and good deep recovery speed allowed him to fight with X receivers at any point in the route. Sometimes, he got too handsy, but most college defensive backs are too handsy. Porter is in a great spot with Pitts- burgh. His presence means the Steel- ers can blitz more often and play man coverage if they want. That gives them latitude to get pressure and sacks with their elite front five. While the Steelers didn't run the most Cover 1 of any team in the NFL, this is still a good fit for Porter. He'll slide into the secondary with free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and cornerbacks Levi Wal- lace and Patrick Peterson, meaning he won't be the only talented player on the back end. Brenton Strange ROUND: Second (61st pick overall) TEAM: Jacksonville Jaguars DETAILS: Strange left eligibility on the table at Penn State when he declared for the draft following his redshirt ju- nior year. That decision paid off with his selection by the Jaguars late in Round 2. Strange inherited the Nittany Li- ons' starting tight end position midway through the 2020 season after Pat Frei- ermuth was forced out of action due to a shoulder injury. During his time in State College, he started 31 games, totaling 70 catches for 755 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best season was his last. In 2022, Strange set career highs in receptions (32), yards (362) and touchdowns (5). FRANKLIN SAYS: "I'm confident Brenton will make a seamless transition into the NFL and bring with him the toughness, physicality and maturity he showed while here. His ability to make plays in the passing game and be physi- cal in the run game will be valuable for the Jaguars organization." CARR'S ANALYSIS: During the draft process, I argued that the 6-foot- 4, 249-pound Strange would fit best in a system that uses two tight ends. The Jacksonville Jaguars aren't exactly what I had in mind. Head coach Doug Pederson wants to recreate the personnel packages he used in Philadelphia with Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz. What's surprising is that Strange is the second-heaviest tight end on the roster. With Evan Engram serving as the Jaguars' obvious receiving tight end, Strange is left to fill the Goedert role as the traditional Y or inline block- ing tight end. That wasn't what he did during his time at Penn State. However, Pederson is an excellent coach who knows how to put players in the correct positions to succeed. There are better fits than this, but it's still a good one. Strange will also get the chance to run more vertical routes than he did last season at Penn State. Juice Scruggs ROUND: Second (62nd pick overall) TEAM: Houston Texans DETAILS: Scruggs, a 6-3, 301-pound interior offensive lineman, was the very next player chosen after his teammate Strange went to Jacksonville. His selec- tion marked yet another step in a re- markable journey. Named the Penn State scout team's of- Center Juice Scruggs impressed during Penn State's Pro Day in March, leading to his selection by Houston in the second round of the draft. PHOTO BY CRAIG HOUTZ/PENN STATE ATHLETICS