In a network processor, a “port-kind” identifier (ID) is assigned to each port. Parsing circuitry employs the port-kind ID to select the configuration information associate with a received packet. The port kind ID can also be stored at a data structure presented to software, along with a larger port number (indicating an interface and/or channel). Based on the port kind ID and extracted information about the packet, a backpressure ID is calculated for the packet. The backpressure ID is implemented to assign a priority to the packet, as well as determine whether a traffic threshold is exceeded, thereby enabling a backpressure signal to limit packet traffic associated with the particular backpressure ID.