He played well against good teams and respectable offensive tackles. Porter recorded five sacks against Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Baylor. All three of those teams have offensive tackles who are well regarded. Heading into November, Porter had 8.5 sacks and looked poised to compile a total in the teens. However, he had a streak of four games late in the season in which he didn’t record a sack. In those contests, he still was around the ball and had quality figures, including four tackles for a loss. He ended the season well against Northwestern with six tackles and a sack.
2012 Season Outlook: Porter could see less pass-rushing opportunities in the SEC compared to the Big 12. The former is a more balanced conference offensively, while the Big 12 was college football’s version of the Arena League. Still, Porter is a dangerous edge rusher and there is no reason to think that he won’t have a quality sack total as a senior. Porter and teammate Damontre Moore form a nice pass-rushing tandem that challenge offenses with double-team problems.
Skill-Set Summary: If you like Von Miller, you’re going to like Sean Porter. Like Miller, Porter is a seek-and-destroy defender who flies around the field chasing down ball-carriers. His biggest strength is his ability to rush the quarterback off the edge. Porter has the speed to turn the corner and can easily zig-zag his way around offensive tackles. He has the versatility to line up in different places in the defensive front and rush the quarterback. His closing speed is superb, and he forces throws with pressure regularly when he doesn’t record sacks.
Porter plays well in space and is not a liability dropping into pass coverage, although he is a much bigger difference-maker rushing the quarterback. However, Porter needs to add weight for the NFL. It would be ideal if he could gain 10-20 pounds to hold up on the edge. At times, he can get washed out of plays in run defense when offensive linemen get their hands on him.
Another aspect of Porter’s pro preparation that people are unable to see is how well his practice competition prepares him. The Aggies field one of the best tackle tandems in the country with juniors Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews. Both of them have the potential to be first-round picks when they enter the draft. Porter sees better tackles in practice than he does on game days, and that definitely will make him a better football player entering the NFL.
2013 Draft Expectations: Porter is viewed as a first- or second-round pick entering the 2012 season. Currently, he should interest mainly 3-4 defenses. If Porter produces a double-digit sack season, he should definitely go in the top 64, and he will have produced around 20 sacks in the past two years. There is a big demand for 3-4 edge rushers, even undersized ones like Porter.
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