Porter has flashed, but more involvement comes with a process

Those types of plays are what gives so much excitement around the second-round cornerback and, at some point, around the possibilities that surround the Steelers secondary. I could be understood that the 32nd pick in the draft has earned more playing time and has the talent to play a consistently robust number of snaps at cornerback for the Steelers.

Not so fast.

There is still a curve to achieve for him going forward. That includes with him playing in more positions than his usual outside cornerback spot, and as he told me before Wednesday's practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, there is still another level of complexity to achieve from a scheme perspective from his usual position on the outside.

"We're trying to work on it every day, but they're keeping it basic for me so I can just play fast and not really think of too much stuff," Porter told me. "I think, keep gaining the confidence and understanding the game more, I should be getting out there with more opportunities."

Skepticism rose around the rookie's perceived readiness after he played in just seven snaps and exclusively inside of Teryl Austin's dime package against the 49ers. Though he was not targeted, the Steelers' secondary surrendered 184 receiving yards to Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk while Patrick Peterson struggled in coverage, and the conversation began to twirl regarding Porter's readiness as a result of the subpar play from those in front of him.

In Week 2, Levi Wallace was run around the Acrisure Stadium field by the Browns' Amari Cooper, who hauled in seven out of 10 targets for 90 yards. Porter took to the field for the game's final play as Peterson moved into the slot on Wallace's side, which goes in coincidence with some of what the Steelers tested in training camp. 

Peterson played in seven snaps in the slot in 2022, but was on the field for 12 alone in Monday's game to nearly equal Porter's 14 played outside. In late August, Mike Tomlin said he was "comfortable" with Peterson playing inside the slot, and Peterson would add to Chandon Sullivan, who played 41 snaps in the slot out of the 87 total. 

That could be one key to Porter seeing the field more often, but Porter's own learning curve will have to dictate the majority of the ideal for giving him more playing time -- or even starting altogether. Peterson played 85 of 87 snaps while Wallace achieved 78 on Monday.

Porter told me he has not been given any indication of any of those aforementioned "more opportunities" are going to come by any time soon.

"I have no idea," Porter said. "That's all up to the people upstairs. ... I feel like I've grown a lot just from the standpoint of my mentality and that part of the game, just understanding what the offense is trying to do to our defense and how I could stop that. So from that aspect I feel like I've grown a lot."

This secondary is not all-the-way there just yet, though it has given up a total of 413 yards and has collectively registered 13 passes defended in two games. Porter will be a solution to that mix at some point, but it at least appears that the coaching staff is still intent on slowly ushering him into the starting lineup for one reason or another.

Defending a college-level offense and defending an offense in today's NFL are not one and the same. It comes down to the translatable skills at the end of the day.

"I think he's continuing to get comfortable in the defense," Keanu Neal said. "The more he's out there, the more experience he has in the league, the better he feels to go out there and play fast and play fluid. I think him getting reps is only making him play better. ... I'd say the game's a little bit faster. They do a little bit more in the league than in college, and it is a transition, for sure, but I think as new guys coming in we make it bigger than what it is. Offenses get to the same stuff they get to one way or another. The routes are all the same. It's all very similar, so I think for him he's definitely realizing that and playing to his potential, and like I said, it's only going to get better."

Porter's words about the coaching staff keeping things basic for him early in his career lines up with what Austin said last week in response to a question about Porter exclusively playing in the dime and having only seven snaps under his belt.

"That's kind of where he is right now," Austin said last week, succinctly. 

That's still -- kind of -- where he is right now nearly one week after the fact, except the arrow is trending upward.