Joey Porter Jr.'s smile on Friday night belied the disappointment he felt after falling to the first pick of the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Porter was widely expected to be a top-20 pick in the draft. Many thought the Steelers would draft him with the 17th overall pick if Porter was still available. To the surprise of many, the Steelers were able to use their second draft pick to select Porter, who at that time was already back in Pittsburgh after being in Kansas City for the draft's opening night.
"I got a chip on my shoulder," Porter said during his first press conference as a Steeler. "I'm trying to prove myself."
That was the first of three times the word "chip" was used by Porter, whose confidence that he was going to be a first-round pick was evident by his wardrobe choices in Kansas City.
"Yeah, I was a little upset," Porter said of his decision to drive back to Pittsburgh after the first night of the draft. "But also, I'm not going to put on the same suit twice. I'm not going to do that. So, I'm going to go home and relax with the family."
Porter's extended wait paid off after the Steelers selected him with the 32nd overall pick. Since he was already in Pittsburgh, Porter decided to head to the Steelers' South Side facility shortly after being drafted. Before leaving for the facility, Porter celebrated the moment with his father, former Steelers' outside linebacker Joey Porter.
"I mean, he was excited," Porter said of his father. "He was probably louder than me a little bit. But he was ready. He said you just go in with that chip on your shoulder. You know you're pissed off a little bit, but they'll know, too."
"They" may be a reference to the receivers Porter will face this fall, a group that includes AFC North rival wideouts Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Amari Cooper, and Odell Beckham Jr. Given the quality of receivers he will face on a weekly basis, Porter will have plenty of opportunities to show he should have been a first-round pick.
Along with playing a receiver-rich division, Porter will get the chance to play alongside eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson, whom Pittsburgh signed earlier this offseason. Porter will also share a defensive backfield with arguably the NFL's best free safety in Minkah Fitzpatrick. He'll also get a chance to play with former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt and perennial Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.
Porter knows how much Pittsburgh embraces defense. He was on the field shortly after his father's defense held Seattle to 10 points in the Steelers' Super Bowl XL win. That defense featured Porter and future Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu, among others.
The Steelers' current unit is trying to carve out their own championship legacy. The NFL's top-paid unit last year, the Steelers defense was among the best in the league in interceptions.
"This is Steelers defense," Porter said. "This is what we're about. Hard football, we're going to smack you in the mouth. We're going to play aggressive, and I feel like that fits my game style. I'm going to get in your face, I'm going to talk a little trash, but we're going to play."
Porter is also going to try to prove that he should have been a first-round pick, which was also one of the things that drove one of the greatest Steelers in franchise history during his rookie season: Jack Lambert.
"That chip on my shoulder is going to last," Porter said, "and I'm going to prove myself that I feel like I'm that guy. I feel like I was CB1 that year, and we're going to see this year when the season starts."
