Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State
Size:
Height: 6027
Weight: 195
Arm: 33 ⅛”
Hand: 9”
Accomplishments:
All-Big-12 Honorable Mention (2024) • Three-star recruit
“Darien Porter is an uber-long, physical corner whose surprising speed and burst to close make him a dangerous defender when the ball is around.”
Strengths:
Athletic ability at his size
Speed to carry vertically
Previous receiver
Ball skills
Big nickel versatility
Concerns:
Tackling technique
Hips opening too soon
Lateral quickness
Film Analysis:
A former three-star wide receiver recruit out of Bettendorf High School in Iowa, Darien Porter was a two-time all-district pick and first-team all-state selection as a senior as a kick returner. He compiled 27 catches for 440 yards and seven TDs in 2018 and averaged 16.3 yards per catch while rushing for 208 yards and three TDs, averaging 13.0 yards per rush. He stood out in track & field, winning the Class 4A state championship in the 400 meters in 2017 and 2019, and was runner-up in 2018. His time of 46.99 in 2019 broke the Class 4A state record and was the first sub-47.00 400 in Iowa prep history. He was also a member of the 2019 state champion Class 4A 800 sprint medley team and winner of the state title in the 200 meters to claim three state titles.
Porter chose Iowa State over a few other Big Ten schools. He played wide receiver for three seasons, mainly as a core special teamer, before transitioning to defensive back and having a breakout sixth season in college football with three interceptions, two passes defensed, and two tackles for loss.
Porter is a tall and long defensive back listed at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds—he’s probably closer to 6-foot-2—whose wide receiver experience appears in every snap. He’s coverage multiple, showing a good understanding of zone and man, but he is most comfortable as a Cover 3 corner with man upside. Porter has a smooth backpedal and the hip fluidity to turn and run, but an elongated gate transition makes it difficult for him to cover quick-twitchy receivers. His recovery burst is impressive down the field, and covering distance horizontally to take away throwing lanes for quarterbacks, he relies on it too often in zone trying to bait throws. His feel for proper depth in zone shows up, and he does well to shift eyes with receivers coming in and out of his area to the quarterback and back. When triggering downhill, he has a slight false step that catches him, but when he accelerates, he explodes. As a former wide receiver, Porter has good ball skills, tracking, and timing when the ball is in the air with instincts to match.
Porter is a willing run defender, but his tackling technique needs work. He’ll square up to the ball-carrier but lunges with poor angles and falls off of tackles too easily. A smart pursuit defender, he takes great angles from the opposite side of where the ball is to track down the football and make effort plays downfield.
Porter’s age and lack of playing time will give NFL teams some pause, but the talent and athleticism are undeniable. He possesses the build, fluidity, length, and ball skills to be a high-end starter in the league who offers some safety and big nickel flexibility, and a floor as a core special teams contributor.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Iowa (2024), Texas Tech (2024), Arizona State (2024), Kansas State (2024)
