Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount has lauded the Pittsburgh Steelers’ selection of Joey Porter Jr. in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

There was much expectation that the Steelers would opt to use the No. 14 overall pick in the draft to select Porter, but they instead decided to bring in former Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones. The Steelers elected not to trade up from their No. 32 overall pick to haul in a cornerback, and this decision paid off, as the former Penn State defensive back ended up not being picked in the first round.

Blount believes that the Steelers hit a home run with their call to draft Porter.

“Well, I can tell you this, if he got any of his dad’s intensity and desire, he’s going to be OK,” Blount said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s “The Cook & Joe Show” on Wednesday.

“I haven’t seen a lot of him other than the tapes they showed when they drafted him. … I think it’s a great pick. We obviously need help in the secondary.”

As Blount touched on, Porter is set to follow in the footsteps of his father, Joey Porter Sr. The longtime linebacker made a name for himself in the NFL during his eight-season run with the Steelers, where he earned three Pro Bowl selections.

Porter featured in four seasons at Penn State, where he tallied 113 total tackles, 20 passes defended, and one interception. He sure will look to add another dimension to a Steelers defense that allowed a 222.3 passing yards per game mark last season.