Joey Porter Jr. looks like the kind of addition the Cowboys hoped they were getting when they traded for him on September 30th, and last Sunday in Green Bay was the first real sign that he can matter in Dallas.
Porter’s arrival came after Dallas’ Week 3 loss to the Ravens in Brazil, and the fit took a little while to settle. He played the next Sunday against the Texans, but only logged 25 defensive snaps while adjusting to the new scheme.
Then an illness kept him out the following week against Tampa Bay. Even with a reported ankle injury hanging over last week’s game, Porter was in the starting lineup against the Packers and turned into one of the few Dallas defenders who held up.
Jordan Love did not spend much time challenging Porter, and when he did, the results were limited. Love kept finding softer spots elsewhere in the secondary, especially against DaRon Bland, Shavon Revel and other Dallas defenders who were struggling. But Porter did what Dallas needed on his side of the field, and if that continues, it gives Christian Parker more room to think creatively about how to patch up the rest of the defense.
There’s also the bigger picture. The assumption since the trade has been that Dallas probably won’t hand Porter a new contract.
The idea was simple: get solid production this season, then let him leave and collect a strong compensatory draft pick when he lands a big deal next spring. That plan may not be so easy if Porter keeps standing out and ends up as one of the defense’s few reliable pieces.
The question of whether Dallas would actually let him walk could get a lot more complicated than it seemed at first.
George Pickens, meanwhile, had a different kind of day. His stock didn’t move nearly as well after a frustrating offensive performance that left him with six catches for 73 yards on 11 targets. He led the team in receiving, but it wasn’t efficient, and the numbers only told part of the story.
Pickens wasn’t the problem by himself. CeeDee Lamb needed 18 targets just to finish with nine catches for 70 yards.
The bigger issue was the people steering the offense: Dak Prescott, Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams. They looked stuck trying to answer what Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was throwing at them.
That kind of dysfunction matters for Pickens because he doesn’t control much of what determines his production. He handled an expiring contract well last year, but that came in a setting where he was allowed to pile up All-Pro numbers. The last two games had hinted at better days, but Sunday night was a reminder that he needs the offense around him to cooperate if he’s going to have the season he wants.
With so much money on the line, that lack of control can wear on a player fast. It’s not a prediction that Pickens will explode later on, but it is a real concern. Free agency could push him toward the kind of success he wants, but if Dallas doesn’t get its offense back to last year’s form soon, it could just as easily become a powder keg.
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Ross flashed as a pass rusher, Hawkins and Jones kept building their resumes, and Biles continued to show why he belongs on the radar for a team always looking for impact help. Johnsons usage also stood out in Oregons expanded offense, a reminder that some of the most useful evaluations come well before a player is anywhere near draft day, especially when one of these names is already shaping up as a long-range watch item for 2028. [Read more 🡒]