Washington Draft Preview: The Consensus Pick at 16 the Right Pick?

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April 21, 2023

by David Earl

Is Corner Back The Right Choice?

At this point of the offseason, we’ve all read and/or heard roughly 1,789,876 (give or take 100,000) mock drafts from everyone including lead NFL analysts, to players, and to the Pro Football Focus-types of the world. So I took ten random mock drafts and seven of those drafts had Washington drafting a cornerback of which 5 were a consensus Joey Porter Jr out of Penn State. That 70% aligns with Noonefromtampa’s Road to the Draft series, which has 62.59% of 2023 mock drafts where Washington takes a cornerback. What’s amazing is that the cornerback position has by far been the area most believe Washington will address at pick 16. Is that the right decision? Last season Washington’s offensive line allowed the 25th-worst sack percentage (7.97%) and the 28th-worst rushing yards-per-attempt average (4.0) during this past season. While the addition of Andrew Wylie certainly bolsters this unit and allows some flexibility with moving Sam Cosmi inside to guard potentially, I am not sold entirely that passing on a Paris Johnson (OT) or O’Cyrus Torrence (OG) here is a wise decision. That’s not to slight what Joey Porter Jr can bring to this defense as that is certainly a personal favorite but, being honest, addressing the cornerback position is not nearly as pressing as drafting the offensive line. As Noonefromtampa breaks down the analytics of the draft, which I highly recommend you read, I will discuss some random mock drafts and see if the selection was a hit or a miss in my opinion.

Joey Porter in a Landslide

As mentioned earlier 6 mock drafts have Washington taking cornerback Joey Porter Jr in 5 of these scenarios. Who is Porter Jr and what makes him worthy of the 16th selection? This 6’2″ and 193lbs corner from Penn State is a scheme-versatile player with good instincts in coverage. Lance Zierlien mentions, “Not twitchy enough to match a complex route,” but he does have a good sense of the play as it is developing especially later into the game through recognition. What I saw in Porter was a player who was not often fooled in route designs while seemingly always keeping one eye on the quarterback. Does have a good recovery speed which has led to his ability to routinely break up passes underneath plus plays very physically off the line. Joey Porter Jr certainly has his flaws but he is a guy who has all the tools to become a lockdown corner at the next level so this pick shouldn’t upset the fan base. However, was he the optimal choice for Washington in these particular mock drafts?

  • Fox Sports: Here, O’Cyrus Torrence was not even a first-round selection so playing off their apparent second-round grade on him, Georgia’s Broderick Jones (OT) could be a consideration. Looking at most mock drafts the 19-24 range has been the sweet spot for Jones so the 16th pick might be too high but not for SI News. Regardless, this 6’5″ 311lbs offensive tackle would immediately fill a need on the left side (sorry Charles Leno). He is an athletic player who has great length, excellent body mechanics, and recognizes misdirection rushes very well. Will need to utilize his power better for the next level though and can give up ground easily at times to power rushers. Unless there is a move back the Joey Porter Jr selection here was probably the best pick here for Washington.
  • USA Today: With the top three offensive tackles off the board by pick 16, Joey Porter JR was truly the slam dunk pick. With the tight end being an obvious need, this mock draft laid out perfectly to pick someone like Utah’s Dalton Kincaid (TE) as Daniel Jeremiah did in his mock draft. Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer (TE) may be the most polished tight end in this group as the best blocker and can run solid routes, but he lacks the explosion you’d like to see. Kincaid is a wide receiver with and tight-end body who is serviceable as a blocker. You could almost see him as a better-blocking version of Jordan Reed and a true mismatch nightmare like Reed. While Porter is probably the best value pick in this particular draft and the smart choice, the door is open for Kincaid and a selection that changes Washington’s offense in such a dynamic way.
  • SB Nation: Hs a scenario where not only are all the top offensive tackles off the board but Dalton Kincaid is selected immediately before Washington’s pick by Green Bay. Therefore, the Joey Porter Jr pick here surely makes the most sense, so let me draw in Ryan Wilson’s mock draft from CBS Sports. Here he passes on Porter for Maryland corner Deonte Banks who is one of this draft’s enigma players as I’ve seen him as early as a top 15 pick to the back end of the first. There has not been any great consistency in his draft position  Banks is an uber-athletic player, scoring a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, 1.49-second 10-yard split, and a 42″ vertical jump. He is a defensive scheme-versatile player with great size, length, and excellent hand technique, but he can be slow to anticipate route breaks and does give up space in lateral transitions. Although Deonte Banks has the athletic score off the charts, I just don’t see him having the complete game of Joey Porter Jr., thus making Banks an unnecessarily risky pick when Porter was still on the board.
  • Pro Football Focus: This draft again shows a theme of the top 3 offensive tackles off the board and where I am beginning to conclude if they want one of these guys they will have to move up in the draft. So this could be another Dalton Kincaid option but let’s shift gears just a bit and consider Texas running back Bijon Robinson. There has been some talk lately of Washington drafting the star running back Robinson with Bleacher Report mentioning the, “shortest odds to land Texas running back Bijan Robinson in the 2023 NFL draft at +400.” Yes, Washington has a receiving back in Antonio Gibson, a former college wide receiver, plus the story of Brian Robinson Jr and his traditional between-the-tackles running but put those two together and you still only get a poor man version of Bijon Robinson. This guy can do it all and is simply a game-changer whose skillset fits perfectly with what the NFL wants in their running backs. What he does for their offense is truly immense and immeasurable but, as proven over the last 10-plus years, teams just don’t need a superstar running back to win championships. Bijon is a pick I would not hate and actually be excited for but Joey Porter Jr is simply the wiser pick, especially in a passing league.
  • Charles Davis: Here Broderick Jones was available but, since I already covered him, let’s look at another alternative in Alabama cornerback and safety Brian Branch. As his athletic score doesn’t jump out at you; it’s his NFL comparison in Minkah Fitzpatrick given by Lance Zierlein that intrigues me. The 16th pick is too high and a trade-back would be wise but his versatility to play safety and the slot corner role is what Washington will sorely need. He gives a rotation depth with Kamren Curl and Darrick Forrest plus adds the flexibility of keeping all three on the field together. The scenario exists where Curl and Forrest remain deep and Branch comes into the slot or move Branch back as Curl moves into the box in running downs or to rush the quarterback. Branch adds an interesting element to this defense that could make this unit very dynamic. With all that said and unless they trade back, Porter once again becomes the most ideal selection.

Closing

The final two mock drafts to mention have Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon slipping back in the draft to Washington by Bucky Brooks and Florida offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence by Chad Reuter. Witherspoon would be a dream pick here since he is rated a top-10 pick and the second-best corner behind Christian Gonzalez in this entire draft. As good as O’Cyrus Torrence is combined with the need Washington has, Broderick Jones would be the better selection here, and Chad has him going 3 picks later to Tampa Bay. All in all, there seems to be one player many believe Washington will take and combine with Noonefromtampa’s draft analysis of Washington drafting the corner position in 62.59% of all mock drafts done this year, Joey Porter Jr seems like the most sensible pick in the first round. If Washington can come away with a Porter Jr or any of those 3 offensive tackles in this draft or even Dalton Kincaid that’s a big win for this team and continues building on a solid foundation they currently have in place.