Steelers' Undrafted Rookie Making The Most Of His Opportunities

Day two of Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp comes to an end. Many names continue to come up as future contributors for the team heading into the 2024 regular season. One of those players is Beanie Bishop. Bishop, an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia, continues to shine through the first two days of camp. He is making the most of the first team opportunities showing his coverage abilities and his teammates are noticing.

DeShon Elliott, the former Miami Dolphins safety has had a front row seat to Bishop's play, sharing the field with him on the first team defense. Bishop, wanting to be the best player he can be for the Steelers, has leaned on the mentorship of his fellow secondary teammates that have been in the NFL and know the expectations that are held. Elliott talked to the media after day two of Steelers' training camp and this is what he had to say about Bishop via Aaron Becker.

"Little Beanie man, he is doing good. Rook, doing his best, learning everyday, asking questions everyday. Coming to my dorm room and bothering me everyday, but I love that boy. I think is going to be a great player if he keeps being persistent, keep wanting to learn and grow and listening to the coaches and follow the leadership of the older guys. I think he will be fine."

Bishop was a Walter Camp and FWAA First Team All-American, Second Team All-American (AP, Sporting News, and AFCA), and All Big 12 First Team last season for West Virginia. A physical player that fits the Steelers' mold, Bishop was third leading tackler for the Mountaineers with 67 tackles. His ability to attack the ball in the air was evident as well, where he finished his fifth year with four interceptions and deflecting 20 passes. 

The Steelers need to fill the slot corner position while Cam Sutton serves his eight-game suspension. Many names were thrown out to fill the position like Josiah Scott, Anthony Averett, and even signing a familiar face, Patrick Peterson. However, in his first NFL offseason, he is making the case that he deserves that starting role. He continues to take the first team reps and with how well he is playing, it is hard for the coaching staff to take him off the field. Bishop is taking this challenge head on and isn't shying away from this golden opportunity. He talked to the media after his second day of training camp about his current role via Aaron Becker.

"I'm trying to take advantage of all of the reps that I get. Everyday I'm coming to compete for a spot, just like everyone else. I just want to be able to take the most advantage of it."

Did The Steelers Found Their Solution At Slot Corner?

When Bishop was picked up by the Steelers after the 2024 NFL Draft, he began preparing to make an impact straight away. The most notable undrafted free agent to succeed in the slot corner position for Pittsburgh in recent memory was Mike Hilton. Bishop told reporters that he has been watching Hilton's tape from his time with the Steelers to see what the team wants out of their nickel position. Bishop came in with a mindset of contributing to the team right away, but with Sutton on the sidelines for half of the season, he is looking to lock up the starting spot over the competing veterans.

There is still a lot of training camp left for the Steelers and not to mention preseason games. Bishop will continue to take advantage of his current opportunities and build off the hot start. The big question is if the undrafted free agent can keep up the steam and if he can continue to hang with NFL caliber starting receivers. Let us in the comments know if you think Bishop will be the Week 1 starter.

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