For any Detroit Lions fan watching Monday night football between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, it was a sore reminder of what could have been. The Cowboys took down their rivals 38-21, and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was dominant.
Then again, he's been a problem for wide receivers since he came into the league in 2023, which is why the Lions needed to snag him when he became available for trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers in September.
In three games with Dallas, Porter has been targeted ten times, allowing two receptions for ten yards. Against the Eagles, Porter was sticking to receivers all night, recording one pass deflection and four tackles. If someone catches a touchdown on him, they should keep the ball and frame it, because nobody has been able to do it since week eight of his rookie season.
According to NFL NextGen Stats, his streak of 1,520 coverage snaps without allowing a touchdown is 986 snaps longer than any other active cornerback.
The Lions don't have anyone to guard an elite WR1 man-to-man, as DJ Reed is better fit to cover a WR2. Porter could have filled that need immediately, as he's played man coverage on 65.1% of his coverage snaps (NGS). Additionally, the Cowboys only gave up a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.
The Lions have wasted numerous first and second round picks on cornerbacks over the years, and this was a chance to use them on a young and already proven player.
Instead, Detroit just has to hope to get healthy. But, luckily for the Lions, they got some unexpected good news recently regarding all-pro safety Kerby Joseph.
What is the outlook for the Lions secondary without an elite cornerback?
With Brian Branch back in the lineup going forward, Detroit's pass defense will be upgraded. But Branch can't be on both sides of the field at once. That's where Joseph comes in. After recovering from a knee injury for over a year, with doubts about whether he would ever be able to play again, Joseph posted something on X/Twitter suggesting he's ready to make his comeback. Although, unless you're familiar with the Dragon Ball series, you might not have realized it.
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Branch recorded an interception in his first game back from injury, and the Lions had their best defensive performance of the season in terms of both yards and points allowed. If Joseph actually returns and plays well this season, Detroit could find itself as a contender once again. However, if they had traded for Porter, the Lions might have turned into favorites to win the super bowl.
The NFL trade deadline is coming up on Nov. 10, so the Lions still have time to call for backup, but they missed a rare opportunity to grab an elite young player for cheap. The only acceptable reason for Porter not wearing Honolulu blue is that he refused to go to Detroit. Other than that, general manager Brad Holmes has no excuse that would suffice.
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