Do the New Orleans Saints know where they’re picking this year? KPRC 2 Houston’s NFL insider Aaron Wilson reports that the Saints have scheduled a pre-draft visit with Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr., whose busy itinerary includes stops with the Raiders, Commanders, Ravens, Panthers, and Eagles in the days ahead.
Porter is drawing a lot of attention for good reason. He’s a virtual lock to be picked in the first 10 or 12 picks of the 2023 NFL draft, having played at an incredibly high level last year with 11 pass breakups in 10 games — before he timed the 40-yard dash in just 4.46 seconds at 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds, helping to generate an impressive Relative Athletic Score of 9.72. Don’t bet on him making it to the Saints’ pick at No. 29 overall.
So why are the Saints bringing him in? It could be as simple as wanting to put him through some agility drills and fill out his scouting report. Nearly every prospect the Saints have tabbed for these exclusive “top 30” visits at their home facility in Metairie either didn’t finish athletic testing at the NFL scouting combine or missed the event entirely, due to injury or being snubbed by the selection process. The Saints’ scouting department puts an emphasis on agility and movement skills in a small space, so the three-cone drill and short shuttle are especially meaningful to them.
Even if they don’t have a prayer of landing Porter (or a real need, given their depth at cornerback), it might be worthwhile to fly him into town and run him through a few drills to get a better idea of what kind of athlete he is. With all of the NFC rivals picking high this year, odds are he’ll be playing somewhere nearby for the foreseeable future.
