Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - In the days leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, WGR will provide profiles on some players that could be a good fit for the Buffalo Bills at positions of need.
As we continue to focus on cornerbacks, this profile will feature Darien Porter Jr. from Iowa State University.
Porter Jr. was recruited to Iowa State as a wide receiver, but his career trajectory changed in 2022 when he was moved to defensive back.
Hailing from Bettendorf, Iowa, Porter Jr. was the sixth-ranked player in the state coming out of high school. In addition to wide receiver, Porter was all-state as a kick returner.
Porter played just three games for the Cyclones as a freshman in 2019. He played in every game the next two seasons, but most of his contributions were on special teams. He had just one catch over those two years.
The big corner, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 200 pounds, played in 12 games last season, starting seven of those contests. He had three interceptions and was named Honorable Mention All-Big 12.
He was part of the top-ranked defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and that defense led Iowa State to a program-record 11 wins.
The red-shirt senior left Iowa State with 64 career games, the most in program history. He had 970 career snaps on special teams and had five blocks (4 punts, 1 field goal).
Porter ran a 4.30 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and measured in with 33-inch arms. Back in his high school days, that speed made him a star in track and field. Porter was a state champion in the 200 meters, 400 meters and 800 sprint medley.
Here is what Joe Marino from the “Locked on Bills” and “Locked on NFL Scouting” podcasts has to say about Porter:
Positives:
This guy is oozing with upside. He has every unteachable gift that you can imagine.
His size and athleticism combination is special. It's rare, and it leads to playmaking on the field. Because he's as physically dynamic as he is, his ability to break on the ball is outstanding. He can really suffocate ball carriers as a tackler because he's got so much tackle radius and he's got so much athleticism that they are just stuck. They're trying to make a move and there's nowhere for them to go.
He's also got a big-time special teams background where that athleticism, and that length has led to big moments, covering kicks and punt and big moments blocking kicks and punts.
I think he fills the Bills mold of wanting to get a dynamic athletic profile, but there's a lot of room for development.
This guy has only played 694 snaps of defense in his career, seven starts across six seasons. On one hand that's very concerning. On the other hand, you have an opportunity to take a ball of clay here that has every unteachable gift and put them in your ecosystem and then maximize the football piece of it, which I think is pretty encouraging.
When you watch him this past season at Iowa State - Iowa State runs a ton of zone coverage - for a guy that's not very experienced, actually only 367 career coverage snaps, he showed a lot of comfort in zone coverage.
That gives me a lot of encouragement for him kind of making good on the overall physical package that gets everyone excited. He's tantalizing.
Concerns:
He's 24-years-old and raw. He's going to turn 25 in January of his rookie season, so you don't love that there's a run that's combined with an age component that's not ideal.
There's a limited man coverage profile here as well. Iowa state place a heavy amount of zone, so you have to project that ability to play man coverage. This is definitely a guy that you would want to spend time with, talk to people around him, really kind of figure out where his work ethic is and where his IQ is football wise.
I'm not saying he doesn't have those things. I just say for the rawness, based on limited experience and the age, you want to get a really good feel for him. Someone like me who's just researching and watching tape, I can look at measurable but there are some things that I'd want to feel comfortable about an early investment here.
If you want to bet on traits, I think this is one heck of a roll of the dice that can lead to some big-time results.
WGR will provide full coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft during all seven rounds, starting Thursday, April 24 and continuing through Saturday, April 26.
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