Joey Porter Jr. is playing it tight-lipped about whether he will accompany CeeDee Lamb in the slot

Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. has managed top targets for most of his career. While he tried to keep quiet about that being the plan in his second season with Donte Jackson as his new vice president, he has continued in that role in 2024. However, with CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys next in line, the question arises how much Porter will follow him. Or more precisely: where.

“I don’t know if I’m going to travel in the slot or not,” Porter admitted, via Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We know (Lamb) likes to move around a lot. Our whole goal is to prevent him from getting the ball. Whatever it is between now and match day, we will try to do it as best we can. He and Dak have had a good tandem for some time. They are definitely our main target.”

Unlike many No. 1 WRs, CeeDee Lamb spends a lot of time in the slot. During the 2024 season, he played 111 snaps in the slot compared to 100 out wide. Remarkably, however, he hasn’t been at his best this year. Maybe Joey Porter Jr. can take advantage of that fact if he follows him.

According to Pro Football Focus, Lamb hit 15 passes from the slot, catching eight passes with two drops. He has 61 receiving yards and is 0-for-5 in contested catch opportunities. However, he dominated from the slot last year, and Porter should keep that in mind. He caught 77 of 113 slot targets for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns, ranking second, first and first.

Interestingly, Pro Football Focus Porter has performed terribly in men’s coverage this season. Still, he only faced four targets, allowing three catches for 39 yards and a forced incompletion. So far, he has logged three slot snaps in coverage, allowing one catch on a target for six yards.

The thing is, the Steelers don’t have a good way to cover the spot right now. Rookie college free agent Beanie Bishop Jr. has taken nearly all of the slot coverage snaps so far. In 80 snaps, he has allowed 9 catches on 14 targets for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Porter and Donte Jackson combined for seven snaps.

In the first four weeks, Joey Porter Jr. hasn’t had to follow a receiver who plays a lot of snaps in the slot. They all do this to some degree, like Drake London and Michael Pittman Jr., but nothing compared to CeeDee Lamb.

This will be an interesting test to see how extensive Porter’s responsibilities are. Do the Steelers trust him to follow an elite receiver into the slot where he doesn’t have much experience? The fact that her alternative is Beanie Bishop might help sway her. In any case, chances are good that they will come up with a variety of disguised coverages to provide protection.