Steelers' Mike Tomlin Insinuates That Beanie Bishop Is On Track To Be Great

The Pittsburgh Steelers have some physical training camp practices. The intensity is always there and in 2024, it seems to be near an all-time high. There have been several fights, players are talking trash to each other after every rep, and the competition has been close between the offense and defense. In addition to having a ton of intensity and physicality, training camp also introduces new talent in the black and gold. This includes undrafted rookies like Beanie Bishop Jr. 

One on ones in Latrobe are pure entertainment. The wide receivers and cornerbacks always produce highlight catches and moments, while the intensity in backs on backers is unmatched. Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked after practice on Friday how he decides the matchups for these one on one drills, and whether the matchups are calculated or not. 

"We come into it with a mindset. Like bodies. People at the same stage of development. We want the competition to be intense and fair. You win enough of your battles, you move up in competition. You don't win enough of your battles, you move down in competition. That's just the nature of this thing. We come in with a mindset, but we're willing to adjust based on what it is we see."

This mindset makes sense for the Steelers; iron sharpens iron. and best against the best. It's why so many clips come out of George Pickens going against Joey Porter Jr.; they are the two top dogs in the wide receiver and cornerback rooms, respectively. Other than Porter, a defensive back who has been taking on Pickens is the undrafted Bishop. He has been a pleasant surprise as he competes for the starting nickel spot.

Based off of Tomlin's philosophy about one on ones, Bishop has been making big strides quickly. He is already being tasked with defending the Steelers’ best receiver, and he is doing a good job in doing so. During practice on Wednesday, Pickens and Bishop squared off multiple times, and the undrafted rookie won the day. 

Pittsburgh landed the rookie in free agency after he went undrafted. He was an All-American in college, so it's hard to believe he slipped through the cracks and got passed up by every organization. Rarely does an undrafted rookie get a chance to crack the starting lineup, but he seems to be a lock for opening day. At the beginning of training camp, he was splitting the starting reps with other candidates, but now he has the nickel spot all to himself. 

Steelers Got Very Lucky Landing Bishop As An Undrafted Free Agent

Everything about Bishop should attract an NFL team. He has plenty of experience as a starter at the college level, he has played on the outside and in the slot, and has the pedigree of being an All-American. The only thing that probably deterred a lot of teams is his size. Bishop stands at just 5'10, which isn't ideal for an outside corner but could work in the slot.

He has a similar build to Steeler turned rival, Mike Hilton. Hilton also went undrafted and was eventually picked up by the Steelers, he wound up being a staple in the secondary until he left to join the Cincinnati Bengals. Bishop even spoke about Hilton after arriving in Pittsburgh. He mentioned that he watches his tape in order to get a better idea of how he is supposed to act in the slot corner role. 

Bishop went from being undrafted, to a likely lock to make the final roster. He is also a play or two from locking up the starting slot corner spot. The Steelers may have found a gem.

What do you think about Bishop already matching up with Pickens? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation