In the dead of night, Jerry Jones traded a second- and sixth-round pick for cornerback Joey Porter. Naturally, all of Dallas erupted. Any improvement to the defense is welcome at this point.
Many want this trade to finally vault Dallas’ defense into the league’s top tier. Simply put, there are too many holes for that to happen. Porter does not need to come in and turn this defense into the 2000 Ravens overnight. Not many players will have that impact on any defense, let alone one as troublesome as Dallas’.
However, Porter possesses talents that can help steady the ship. That, more than anything, is what Dallas needs.
Porter Has Been One of the NFL’s Best Coverage Corners Since 2023
What does Joey Porter bring to the table?
Well, he has not played a snap in 2026 because of a back injury. He is set to make his debut with Dallas on Sunday against the in-state rival Houston Texans.
In 2025, Porter was targeted 66 times and allowed 35 catches. Not one of those receptions turned into a touchdown. He recorded one interception and allowed a passer rating of 66. For reference, the 2025 average passer rating was 91.4. He also allowed -0.07 EPA per play last season.
Since the start of his career (2023), he has got the fourth-lowest completion percentage allowed (48.1%) among qualified cornerbacks. That only trails Derek Stingley, Tariq Woolen, and Christian Gonzalez. Not bad company.
Porter also holds the longest active streak without allowing a touchdown in the NFL. He has not done so in 1,467 snaps that date back to his rookie year.
Porter may not take the ball away, and there is a penalty concern, as he ranked in the top-two in penalties against in 2023 and 2024 among qualified cornerbacks.
But the statistics don’t lie. This is a massive get for a Dallas team that needed one.
Now he can get to work improving this porous defense.
Porter Won’t Fix Everything, but the Math Shows How Much He Helps
As stated earlier, Porter likely is not going to make this defense elite. However, some simple math will show just how impactful he can be.
Dallas has the worst EPA/play allowed in the league at 0.14. Porter allowed -0.07 EPA per play on his targets last season — meaning quarterbacks were actively worse off for throwing at him. EPA/play is a team-wide metric, so one corner won’t single-handedly overhaul the number.
But in a defense this porous, even locking down one side of the field changes what opposing offenses can do. Coordinators lose a chunk of the playbook when a receiver is effectively removed from the equation, and that forces throws into tighter windows elsewhere, which is the kind of resistance Dallas has lacked all season.
The point is that Porter will come in and prevent big pass plays, like the one to Zay Flowers at the end of regulation last week. Moreover, his coverage skills will help the pass rush, which has also struggled.
With Joey Porter’s skillset, he can give this defense a lot more resistance.
And that is all the Cowboys really need out of him.
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