First Round (Pick No. 23)
Joey Porter Jr. - CB (Penn State)
The Vikings have three big needs in the 2023 NFL Draft. They need a number two wide receiver, depth at cornerback, and they need to improve their defensive line. At pick No. 23, they'll be hoping that a premier player at one of those positions slides to them. One that has an outside chance of doing just that is Penn State's Joey Porter Jr.
Porter has the bloodlines, length, and physicality needed to play on the outside in the NFL. He was born with NFL blood, with his father being former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, Joey Porter. This is huge because he's grown up with the game being a major part of his life, and understands all the nuances of not just defense but also what the offense is doing in certain situations.
Porter's biggest asset is his long, lanky limbs. The dude has tentacles for arms and uses them to go up and swat the ball away at its highest point, or to use them to jam receivers at the line forcing them off their route and messing with their timing.
Porter could slide to pick No. 23 for various reasons. If there is a quarterback frenzy at the top of this draft and five come off the board early, that'll push prospects at other positions down the board. There could also be a run at edge rusher, and even at wide receiver, and that could force some of these cornerbacks to come off the board later than they should.
If that happens and Porter ends up making it to pick No. 23, the Vikings could get a huge steal on their hands. He's got the potential to be a shutdown corner in the NFL and could have a career that rivals his father's.