The Pittsburgh Steelers created a long-term question at cornerback when they traded Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys last week.
One early 2027 projection already has Pittsburgh using a premium pick to fill the opening, passing on a quarterback to add one of college football’s top defensive backs instead.
Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice projected the Steelers to select Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson IV with the No. 13 overall pick, calling him Pittsburgh’s potential “Joey Porter Jr. replacement.”
Steelers Predicted to Land Joey Porter Jr. Replacement
Tice admitted he nearly went in a much different direction for Pittsburgh.
“I almost pulled the trigger on Trinidad Chambliss here. The Steelers instead go with their Joey Porter Jr. replacement. Robinson is a twitchy athlete with length and ball skills. He’s improved a ton this year in terms of technique and eye discipline, and he is using his traits to the fullest,” Tice wrote.
Robinson has continued building on a breakout 2025 season at Georgia.
The 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback started 12 games last season and finished with 20 tackles, four interceptions and 11 passes defended. He was named the FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and earned second-team All-SEC honors.
Through five games this season, Robinson has nine tackles, one interception and five passes defended. He entered the year as a preseason first-team All-American selection by the Associated Press, CBS Sports and Athlon.
That production backs up the ball skills Tice highlighted, while Robinson’s size and athleticism would give Pittsburgh another young outside corner to build around.
Steelers Have New Long-Term Question at Cornerback
The need became much clearer after Pittsburgh finally moved Porter.
Pittsburgh received a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick from Dallas in exchange for Porter. The sixth-rounder is conditional on Porter being on the Cowboys’ active list for at least two games this season.
Porter never played a snap for Pittsburgh in 2026. He spent training camp on the physically unable to perform list because of a back injury, was activated Aug. 30 and remained inactive for the Steelers’ first three games before the trade.
He had been Pittsburgh’s top outside corner before the contract standoff, leading the Steelers with 14 passes defended in 2025 while recording 52 tackles and one interception in 14 starts.
His departure changed the long-term outlook of a secondary that looked much deeper entering training camp.
Jalen Ramsey remains one of Pittsburgh’s biggest names in the defensive backfield, but he is 31. Jamel Dean gives the Steelers another veteran outside option, while rookie Daylen Everette has already been forced into a larger role amid injuries.
That depth has already been tested. Ramsey played through a broken wrist in the Week 4 loss to Cleveland, while Dean left the game with his foot in a boot. Everette was pushed into meaningful snaps as Pittsburgh’s once-crowded secondary thinned quickly.
Cornerback could therefore remain high on Pittsburgh’s list of needs even if other positions become more urgent by the spring.
Quarterback will inevitably be part of that conversation with Aaron Rodgers in what he has said will be his final NFL season.
Steelers Predicted to Skip 1st-Round QB for Joey Porter Jr. Replacement