Joey Porter Jr. labeled player the Jacksonville Jaguars must target in the 2023 Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars made several important additions to their offense the last two years, so it's now time for them to focus on making upgrades to the defensive side of the ball in the 2023 NFL Draft. In particular, their cornerback group could use a boost and Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report thinks Jacksonville should go after Joey Porter Jr. at No. 24.

Davenport drew up a list of prospects each contender should target in the draft and argues that Porter would be a great addition to the Jags' secondary. He points out that there doesn't seem to be a consensus on who the top cornerback prospect in this year's class is but notes that the former Penn State holds that spot in B/R's big board.

""Porter is the best cornerback in this draft class", B/R's Cory Giddings wrote. "He may not be as polished as some of the other top cornerbacks in previous classes, but with his length and physicality, he's comparable." There's no guarantee Porter will still be on the board at No. 24. But if he even gets close, the Jaguars should think long and hard about trading up for him."

For comparison, Porter was No. 4 in Pro Football Focus' cornerback prospects ranking and second in The Draft Network's draft board. A four-star recruit out of high school, the Bakersfield, California native appeared in 10 games last season and gave up 15 completions for 143 yards on 30 targets on 275 coverage snaps. He also forced 12 incompletions and allowed a passer rating of 63.6.

The Jacksonville Jaguars may not have a shot at Joey Porter Jr. at No. 24

First off, it's encouraging to see observers starting to take the Jags seriously. With that out of the way, opinions are divided on who's the top cornerback in the draft but Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter Jr. often get the nod. Although either one would be a great addition to the Jaguars' defense, both might be gone by the time they're on the clock with the 24th overall selection.

Fortunately for the Jags, many of the top cornerback prospects should still be available when it's their turn to pick, even if there's an early run at the position in the first round. Cam Smith's ability to line up in the slot or the boundaries should be appealing to general manager Trent Baalke. Deonte Banks' size and athleticism also make him an intriguing player.

Having said that, Porter deserves consideration if he somehow falls to No. 24. At 6'2 1/2" and 193 pounds, he's got outstanding size and athleticism. On top of that, his footwork and press technique are fairly developed. Porter didn't play nickel much at Penn State and it's fair to wonder if he can man the slot given that he lacks ideal burst and recovery speed. Either way, the Jaguars' coaching staff could help him get acclimated to the position if they end up targeting him in the first round.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a solid cornerback tandem in Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams but they shouldn't pass up the chance to take Porter if he's available at No. 24. They have the firepower to put points on the scoreboard. They now need to build a defense that can stop opposing offenses to move the ball.