'Boom-or-Bust' Prospect Mocked to Ravens by ESPN Analyst
Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter was described as "one of the most unique players in this draft class" by Pro Football Focus’ Josh Liskiewitz, who included Porter on his list of five boom-or-bust prospects.
Porter, who spent most of his college career as a wide receiver, was mocked to the Ravens in the second round by ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller.
"The Ravens need cornerback depth, a necessary feature in the pass-heavy AFC North," Miller wrote. "A former wide receiver, Porter has all the physical traits teams want in a man cover corner. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, with 33⅛-inch arm length, he is bigger and longer than most receivers he'll face, and he also has 4.3 speed.
"Porter has played only one season of defense, so he's still working on technique, but he's an immediate special teams asset who could develop into a promising man or zone defender."
Liskiewitz said Porter, a six-year, redshirt senior who played wide receiver in high school and his first three years at Iowa State, was outstanding in coverage last season.
"In 2024, Porter was targeted 17 times and allowed just five receptions for 70 yards," Liskiewitz wrote. "He intercepted three passes, dropped a fourth interceptable pass and broke up four more. While it's a limited data set, the results speak for themselves: opposing quarterbacks posted a passer rating of just 4.7 when throwing his way."
That's the boom part. Liskewitz said the bust potential is based on Porter's inexperience at cornerback and struggles in run defense. Unlike Miller, Liskiewitz doesn't think Porter will be selected in the early rounds.
"There's no question Porter is a project, and at 24 years old, that can be a tough sell for teams," Liskiewitz wrote. "Still, his athleticism and ball skills present legitimate upside. … Given his age and limited experience, he's almost certain to be a Day 3 selection, but he fits the mold of an early fourth-round swing on a high-upside developmental player."
Malik Harrison Says He's Ready to 'Unleash' on Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry
Malik Harrison is following in fellow inside linebacker Patrick Queen's footsteps in more ways than one.
After Queen left the Ravens to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, he wasn't shy about trash-talking his former team. Harrison, who joined Queen in Pittsburgh this offseason, made some bold comments, specifically about Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
"Going against them in practice every day you can't do too much because you don't want to mess with church money," Harrison said in his introductory press conference. "But now being on the other side, I can really just unleash and just dominate like I know how I can do."
Harrison did have some nice things to say about the Ravens and Jackson.
"There's no disrespect to Baltimore. I love Baltimore," he said. "The five years I was there I had a great time, but I'm turning a new chapter.
"[Lamar] surprised me every day. He can do things that you don't think a person can do. Great guy, been my guy since Day 1. He knew my name when I first came in. I'm like, 'Man, how you know me?'"
Pundit Names an Early- and Late-Round Option for Ravens' Biggest Need
Guard is regarded as the Ravens' biggest need, and PFF’s Jordan Plocher identified one early- and one late-round candidate.
Plocher's Day 1 option was Alabama's Tyler Booker. Montana State's Marcus Wehr was his Day 3 choice.
"The Ravens want to run the ball effectively, and the 6-foot-5, 321-pound Tyler Booker would help them do just that," Plocher wrote. "He also brings value in pass protection, as he just put up an 86.5 pass-blocking grade in 2024.
"For a later-round option, Marcus Wehr could be a fit. While he's not a household name, Wehr was one of the top run-blockers in the FCS over the past two seasons, and his 88.8 run-blocking grade in 2024 led all FCS guards."
