Joey Porter Jr. is now a member of the Dallas Cowboys, having been traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday evening. Despite fervent fan speculation, it turns out Porter Jr. was apparently never going to be a member of the New York Giants.
NFL insider Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post tweeted that the Giants “were never involved” in trade discussions for Porter Jr. despite an apparent need at the cornerback position.
Dunleavy did, though, add that the Giants “could be aggressive again here
and CB is a spot to keep an eye on given injuries.”
The Cowboys, 25th in the league in points and 30th in yards allowed, and with injuries to defensive backs Shavon Revel Jr., and Cobee Bryant, acquired the 27-year-old Porter in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.
Porter, seeking a new mega-contract, had not played a snap for the Steelers in the first three games. Stunningly, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys agreed to the trade without signing Porter Jr. to a contract extension.
The Giants had a chance to draft Porter Jr. in 2023. Instead, they traded up to select cornerback Deonte Banks 24th overall. Porter Jr. went 32nd to the Steelers.
Porter was the third-ranked cornerback in the NFL last season, using Pro Football and Sports Network’s ‘Impact Score’.
Why weren’t the Giants interested?
I don’t have inside information on this, but there would seem to be two clear reasons:
- Draft capital — The Giants gave up a fifth-round pick this week for quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Right now, the only picks they are guaranteed are in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. The are projected to receive a fifth-round compensatory pick. Give up that sixth-round pick, the possibility would then exist of going from Round 3 to Round 7 before having another selection. The second-round pick in 2028 would also be difficult to recoup.
- Money — The market for top cornerbacks is apparently more than $30 million annually. Giving up premium draft capital AND spending that kind of money is a tough ask.
The Giants’ cornerback situation
There is no true shut down No. 1 cornerback on the roster. The cornerback play, though, has largely been acceptable.
- Greg Newsome has perhaps been better than hoped. He is currently ranked No. 13 among 106 cornerbacks by Pro Football and Sports Network.
- Deonte Banks has missed two games with a calf injury. Throughout the summer, Banks looked like a much-improved player.
- Paulson Adebo was supposed to be the team’s best cornerback. He lost his starting job, struggled in a short appearance in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, and is now on IR.
- Second-round pick Colton Hood has been forced into action. He has a 144.3 passer rating against, giving up 12 completions in 15 targets. To date, PFSN ranks him 103rd out of 106 grades cornerbacks.
Giants head coach John Harbaugh disputed the notion that Hood has gotten off to a rough start.
“I thought he’s improved each game. And that’s really, to me, the definer,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, it’s a big stage. It’s a tough position. And I don’t know how many rookie cornerbacks out there are just dominating. So, what constitutes a rough start for a rookie corner in the National Football League? I mean, who are you comparing him against? What are the rookies you’re comparing him against?
“So, I think he’s done pretty good. Has he done great? No, there’s a couple of times where coverage got a little loose. I’m quite sure that Colton Hood’s going to be a really great player for us out there. And I thought he played better this last game than he did the game before. But he’s going to play better. I’ll bet you he plays better the next game than he did the last game. And really, to me, that’s the defining trait. So, I’m not down on him at all. I’m actually kind of excited for him.”
