In his first mock draft, Mel Kiper had the Patriots targeting a stud cornerback. He shifted gears a month later, predicting New England to select one of this year's top receiver prospects with the No. 14 pick.
Well, for his third mock draft, Kiper went back to his original line of thinking. With the Patriots recently adding receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki, ESPN's NFL draft expert once again believes Bill Belichick and company will target an elite cornerback: Penn State product Joey Porter Jr.
"The Patriots no longer have to draft a receiver here," Kiper wrote in a story published Tuesday morning. "That doesn't mean they won't, just that it's no longer a critical void. New offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien has a few playmakers to scheme open for quarterback Mac Jones, who struggled in 2022, finishing 28th in Total QBR (out of 31 qualifiers). This offense should take a step up.
"The biggest need now is in the secondary. Jonathan Jones was re-signed and Jack Jones had a really solid rookie season, but the Patriots have to add more corners. Porter is a 6-foot-2 press cornerback whose 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the combine was stellar for his size. He didn't allow any touchdowns in coverage last season. He's physical -- he'll tackle in the run game. I see Porter as a player who could thrive for Bill Belichick's defense."
Porter is coming off another great season for the Nittany Lions, racking up 27 tackles and 11 pass breakups. He, Oregon's Christian Gonzalez and Illinois product Devon Witherspoon largely are viewed as the top three cornerbacks available in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Gonzalez and Porter both met with the Patriots at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. It's unclear whether Witherspoon also met with the contingent that New England sent to Indianapolis.
Porter Jr.'s father is longtime Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, who's been open about his distaste for the Patriots. He once said he would hate New England "forever" and repeatedly has criticized the Patriots for multiple cheating scandals.
But Porter Jr. believes his father would put those concerns aside if his son lands in Foxboro.
"I don't think he'd be too mad at the situation," he said at the combine. "He'd just be happy that I got picked up by a team that wants me."
