The most common assessment of the Raiders’ selection of Darien Porter from national pundits was the Iowa State cornerback was a “Pete Carroll guy,” with the kind of length and athleticism the coach covets.
It turns out, that affection goes both ways.
“I grew up a USC fan, so I was a big fan of Pete Carroll,” Porter said. “I was watching him in the early to mid-2000s with USC. So for me, it’s kind of surreal to have this kind of come full circle for me. Now he’s my head coach in the NFL, so it’s just crazy.”
Porter, who signed his contract Tuesday had to be even more wide-eyed when the man he grew up watching on TV jumped into the defensive back drills during his first practice with the Raiders. But he also realized this is his new reality.
“I think it’s awesome to have your head coach out there giving you that one-on-one, or with the other cornerbacks, giving you those kinds of tips,” Porter said. “I think it’s just now you’re here, so you can’t get too caught up in it. Now he’s my coach, and just got to do what he says and take all the coaching I can get.”
Switching sides
Porter, 24, is an elite physical talent who is still learning how to play his position after switching from wide receiver in 2022. Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, after his cornerback room was decimated by transfers, told Porter he’d have a clearer path to playing time if he joined the defense.
Porter embraced the move.
“Changing positions after three years in college, after playing receiver for three seasons and then trying to pick up on corner, which I never really played before, I think that’s about one of the hardest things you could do,” Porter said. “I think what separated me and allowed me to get to this point was how hard I worked at it. Obviously my athleticism helped me a lot, but I didn’t want to be the guy that had to rely on his athleticism. I wanted to be technical, and I wanted to know everything that I had to know.”
Porter, listed at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, learned as fast as he could and became a starter for the first time this past year. He was named the nation’s best coverage corner on deep balls during the 2024 season by the website Pro Football Focus.
“I know that my best football is still ahead, but I’m here and I’ve done everything to put myself in this position,” said Porter, who ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.3 seconds at the combine. “And I was drafted in the third round and I’m still learning. So, for me, it gives me confidence to know that I’ve been able to make it, but I’m still learning and I’m still growing.”
Perfect landing spot
Carroll, who played defensive back in college, could be an ideal mentor for Porter. One of Carroll’s most famous pupils with the Seahawks, Richard Sherman, also converted from wide receiver to cornerback in college.
Sherman went on to make five Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl 48 with Carroll in Seattle.
“We drafted a lot of corners over the years and we’ve always looked for guys that are really fast and guys that are really long and tall because of the style of the way we coach them,” Carroll said. “And we’ve had some pretty good ones. The one thing I think about Darien, he’s a lot like Richard Sherman was.
“There’s a lot of similarities in the makeup of these two kids. Richard’s history is pretty bright, so I have really high expectations for how this works out with Darien, and he kind of fits the mold.”
Porter sees himself more in the mold of Tariq Woolen, a 2022 fifth-round pick Carroll turned into a productive starter with the Seahawks. But Porter, no matter who he gets compared to, is just excited to learn from one of the best in the business.
“Everyone knows what (Carroll) did in Seattle with Richard Sherman, the ‘Legion of Boom,’” Porter said. “I think athletically, I fit a little bit more (with) Tariq than Richard Sherman. But just looking to take all the coaching I can to get to the level of those guys.”
Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
