Penn State’s Brown, Porter receive high marks from draft analyst
Penn State had one of the top secondaries in college football last season, so it’s not surprising that cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and safety Ji’Ayir Brown are receiving high marks from NFL draft analysts.
Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network ranks Porter as the 12th-best prospect in the draft class and Brown at No. 40 as the NFL scouting combine begins Thursday in Indianapolis.
The 6-2, 194-pound Porter, a second-team AllAmerican last season, is projected as a first-round selection by Jeremiah and others. He’s one of three corners expected to be taken among the first 20 picks, along with Devon Witherspoon of Illinois and Christian Gonzalez of Oregon.
“Joey Porter is an outside corner with rare length,” Jeremiah said during a conference call last week. “He can work through wide receivers to get to the ball. He is more play the ball, poke it away, get your hands on the football.
“I wish he would finish a little bit better (and) catch more of them, but he is always in good position.”
Porter broke up 11 passes last season and recovered one fumble but had no interceptions. He allowed just one completion of 15 yards or more, according to Pro Football Focus.
He missed two games and played sparingly against Michigan State after a bout with appendicitis and then opted out of the Rose Bowl. He was named to the All-Big Ten first team by the conference coaches and media.
“He has elite size, length and speed for the position,” Jeremiah said. “He is at his best in press coverage, where he can use his rare arm length to re-route wideouts. In off coverage, he trusts his eyes and closes the distance with his long stride.”
The 5-11, 202-pound Brown has impressed Jeremiah, who moved him into his top 50 overall prospects this week.
Brown led Penn State with 74 tackles, four interceptions and two forced fumbles. He had a hand in 16 career takeaways: 10 interceptions, three fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.
He was named the Rose Bowl Defensive Player of the Game after he made eight tackles, including 1.5 sacks, and an interception against Utah.
“Ji’Ayir Brown is my top safety in the entire draft,” Jeremiah said. “He has cornerback skill. He can play in the middle of the field. He has ball production. You can drop him down low. He is tough. He is physical. He can cover tight ends. He can do everything.
“He is one of my favorite guys to watch in this draft. Everything I’ve heard about him character-wise is off the charts, so I’m a big fan of his.”
Porter and Brown are among seven Penn State players who will participate in the NFL combine this week. The others are tight end Brenton Strange, wide receivers Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington, center Juice Scruggs and defensive tackle PJ Mustipher.
Jeremiah rates the tight ends as one of the deepest positions in the draft. He included Strange among his top 11 tight ends, who all could be taken in the first three rounds.
Strange made 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns last season.
“Strange is flexed out,” Jeremiah said. “He is able to
create some separation with leaning into guys at the top of routes. He has a good feel for that. He can break tackles. He’s not much of a make ’em miss guy after the catch.”
Tinsley, who transferred from Western Kentucky for his senior season, made a team-high 51 receptions for 577 yards and five touchdowns, including one in the Rose Bowl.
“Another name of a Penn Stater that I kind of liked was the wideout Mitchell Tinsley, who has speed,” Jeremiah said. “He has snap out of the break. He is a hands catcher. He attacks the ball. Mix in a little stiff
arm after the catch. He has some toughness.
“I thought he was a really good player who I didn’t really hear anything about or know much about before I popped on the tape, but I was pleasantly surprised.”
Mustipher and the defensive linemen will work out Thursday, along with the linebackers, followed by the defensive backs and placekickers on Friday; the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends on Saturday; and the offensive linemen and running backs on Sunday.
The 2023 NFL draft is scheduled for April 27-29 in Kansas City, Mo.