Cowboys Joey Porter Jr. Trade: Was It Worth It?

The shocking news came down Thursday night of the Cowboys' Joey Porter Jr. trade. The Dallas Cowboys traded for the Pittsburgh Steelers' young star cornerback Porter Jr. In the trade, Dallas sent away a 2028 second-round pick and a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft.

It became increasingly likely that Porter Jr. and the Steelers couldn't agree to a long-term contract extension. The Cowboys were one of the few teams heavily linked to the defensive back. Now that the deal is official, the question is: is it worth it for Dallas?

Cowboys Joey Porter Jr. Trade: Porter Jr. Gives The Cowboys A Long-Term Answer At Cornerback

The Cowboys' Joey Porter Jr. trade isn't for a veteran cornerback who may only have one or two years left before he falls off. Porter Jr. not only gives Dallas immediate help at corner but for the foreseeable future as well.

​Typically in moves like the Cowboys Joey Porter Jr. trade, it gets revealed minutes after the initial deal announcement that the player that got moved has signed a long-term extension. Yet this isn't the case here, as it's been announced that Porter Jr. will play the rest of this season on the final year of his rookie contract.

​Pittsburgh's former second-round pick is only 26 years old and coming off the best year of his career. This past season, in man coverage, amongst all cornerbacks who faced at least 30 man coverage targets. Porter Jr. allowed a mere 35.3% completion percentage; this mark was the lowest in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus .

​​Porter Jr. in the 2025 season finished 11th best in catch rate allowed at 11%. He allowed a career-best passer rating allowed of 66.8, ranking third in the NFL this season. ​Pro Football Focus graded Porter Jr. with a 76.6 coverage grade; not only was it the best of his career, but he ranked 13th among all qualified cornerbacks. He also tied for the fourth-highest pass breakups in the NFL with 13.

Cowboys Joey Porter Jr. Trade: Cowboys Secondary Has Been A Consistent Problem

Dallas's secondary has not been good, to put it nicely, so far in 2026; they've allowed an EPA per pass of 0.37. This ranks tied for 31st in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and only ahead of the Miami Dolphins. The Cowboys' porous secondary being in the same vicinity of two teams who are in rebuilding mode is certainly not good, to say the least. These secondary issues, though, date back even to last season, as they ranked 31st in EPA per pass with a 0.13 finish.

Dallas has an offense good enough to be a contender, as it ranks top seven in EPA per play, success%, and EPA per pass going into week four. The defense, though, hasn't been able to hold its own weight. The Cowboys' Joey Porter Jr. trade, by addressing the leaky secondary, can change that.

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End Of My Cowboys Joey Porter Jr. Trade Rant

Dallas fired Matt Eberflus this past offseason and hired Christian Parker to be their new defensive coordinator. After the first three weeks of the defense under Parker's direction getting off to a rocky start, the Cowboys went out and gave him a new piece for his chessboard.

Porter Jr. comes in and is without a question the best cornerback on the Dallas roster. Now it's up to Parker to utilize the corner in the correct way and Porter Jr. to live up to his billing.