Penn State lands two on PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team

Before Ji’Ayir Brown had ever taken a snap in the NFL, Penn State head coach James Franklin was banging the table in support. In a brief career with the Nittany Lions, the safety had been better than he’d been given credit, Franklin said.

The attention was well-deserved. 

Brown finished his career with 10 interceptions. He also added another three fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles in his three years of action. 

“I’ve said this before. I don’t think he’s getting enough attention. I don’t think enough people are talking about him when it comes to college football awards. When it comes to the NFL,” Franklin said. “His name should be all over the place. He’s playing his tail off. He makes his teammates better. And he’s able to impact the game both in the run game and in the passing game. Very well-rounded football player.”

Tuesday afternoon, with his first season in the NFL ongoing with the San Francisco 49ers ahead of their NFC Championship Game appearance this weekend, Brown got that recognition. Announced by the Pro Football Writers Association, Brown was selected to its 2023 PFWA All-Rookie Team. 

Penn State sends two to All-Rookie Team

He wasn’t alone. Among the 21 other honorees, former Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr., now of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was also selected to the defensive team.

For the 2023 season, Brown has accumulated 22 tackles and a pair of interceptions to go along with four passes defended in San Francisco’s defensive backfield. Porter was similarly impactful in Pittsburgh, notching 32 solo stops with an interception and 10 passes defended in his debut season.

Though Brown did not play against Green Bay in the divisional round last weekend and has dealt with injury at times this season, the rookie’s first go-round has been wildly successful. He has made an immediate splash with teammates and coaches, as detailed in a recent piece from The Athletic highlighting his immediate acclimatization to the NFL and the 49ers. 

Picking up for Talanoa Hufanga, who tore his ACL late in the year, Brown earned his first of five successive starts to close out the regular season. With those opportunities, Brown demonstrated his ability to be one step ahead of opponents thanks to his deep knowledge of the game.

“They’re not able to anticipate where he’s going to be,” corners coach Isaiah Oliver told The Athletic. “He can start back deep and be sprinting up to the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball. So you just never know. 

“So it just kind of helps our disguises and confuses the quarterback. Or at least make him a little hesitant and not 100 percent sure on what they’re looking at.”

Porter makes mark in Pittsburgh

Similarly, the Steelers’ second-round selection has also left an undeniable mark with his new home.

Gradually growing into a starting role, finally landing the job in a week eight game against Jacksonville, Porter has used the fuel of his selection as the fifth cornerback off the board to help propel his rise.

“It still gets under my skin sometimes,” Porter told Steelers.com. “I felt like I was CB1 for sure, and it didn’t pan out that way. And luckily it didn’t pan out that way because I ended up here. I feel like it was worth it.

“I feel like it elevated my game even more because I came into the league with a chip on my shoulder to prove myself. And I feel like I’m still proving myself every day when I step on the field. I don’t feel like I am there yet. I have a lot to learn.”