Vikings Reportedly Meet with Bloodline CB at NFL Combine
The Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to select 23rd on draft night in April to kick off the event, and the club has roster needs at linebacker, wide receiver, interior defensive line, and perhaps center if the incumbent Garrett Bradbury bolts via free agency.
Another ginormous need is cornerback, as the franchise has Andrew Booth, Akayleb Evans, and Cameron Dantzler under contract at the moment, and that group may not do the trick as an end-all solution.
Vikings Reportedly Meet with Bloodline CB at NFL Combine
So, it’s no surprise that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell are chatting with cornerbacks at the 2023 NFL Combine. The Vikings first pick could very well be a corner. And one such defender who piqued Minnesota’s interest this week was Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State, the son of four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter of Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins fame.
Vikes Insider tweeted Friday, “Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. informed the media yesterday that he has met with the Vikings at the NFL Combine.”
Porter could be long gone for the Vikings with their first pick in the event, but stranger things have happened than the Nittany Lion slipping to No. 23. And if that occurs, the Vikings would be tempted to strike as Porter’s scouting report is pretty irresistible.
The man is peppered with strengths, including a knack for press-man coverage, which the Vikings will implement under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He’s 6’2″ and 200 pounds, with athleticism off the charts. Porter doesn’t have a long list of weaknesses or areas for improvement but isn’t considered a prospect with absolutely blazing speed.
Pro Football Network envisioned Porter to the Vikings via mock draft in February. PFN’s Ian Cummings wrote, “I feel like I’ve made this same pick fairly recently for Minnesota. But if Joey Porter Jr. is still there, he’s tough to pass up. Assuming the Vikings will (hopefully) play more press-man with Ed Donatell out the door, Porter projects beautifully into that vision. His elite length-physicality-fluidity combination makes him a master of delaying receiver releases.”
Five weeks ago, VikingsTerritory’s Cole Smith cited Porter as his “draft crush” and explained the fascination, “Right now, my draft crush is Joey Porter, Jr. He fits possibly the Vikings biggest need while being the son of a former player I used to watch. Nostalgia rules right now for me as I’ve just begun to dip my toes into draft season.”
The Vikings haven’t drafted a player from Penn State in 10 years. During the 2013 NFL Draft, Rick Spielman selected two Nittany Lions — linebackers Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti.
Porter is 22 years old.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.