Steelers Undrafted Free Agent Opening Eyes During Training Camp

Getty Undrafted free agent cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. has been impressive for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers during training camp.

With Cameron Sutton set to miss the first eight games because of a suspension, pundits have speculated this offseason whether the Pittsburgh Steelers could bring back veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson or Chandon Sullivan. Both are still available in free agency and would provide a lot more experience than some cornerbacks on Pittsburgh’s roster such as undrafted free agent Beanie Bishop Jr.

Except the need for Peterson or Sullivan to return hasn’t been very high because of Bishop’s performance during training camp.

An undrafted rookie, Bishop has left several Steelers insiders and NFL analysts impressed with his play this summer. On August 1, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine argued Bishop has the best chance of any undrafted Steelers rookie to make the team’s Week 1 roster.

“Bishop has worked his way into the team’s starting nickel role in camp,” wrote Ballentine.

“The 5’9”, 182-pound corner ran a blazing fast 4.39-second 40 in the predraft process. He’s a fierce competitor who plays much more physically than expected for someone his size.

“Bishop’s willingness to mix it up with receivers, and the general youth movement in the Steelers cornerback room, have him headed for an actual role on the defense.”

Bishop played his final college season about 75 miles from Pittsburgh with the West Virginia Mountaineers. During his senior season, he recorded 67 total tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, 20 pass defenses and 4 interceptions.

Steelers’ Beanie Bishop Looking Impressive at Slot CB

Since he signed with the team, Bishop has been one of the highest-profiled undrafted free agents in recent Steelers history. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter ranked Bishop the top remaining cornerback after the 2024 NFL draft.

Bishop has delivered on that hype and even raised the bar. Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders reported Bishop is the only Steelers rookie regularly receiving snaps with the first team.

His current starting status has left 93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi in awe.

“If the Steelers played the Falcons tonight, Beanie Bishop would start at nickel cornerback,” Fillipponi wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on August 1. “I think that would make him the 1st undrafted rookie to start a season opener in Steelers history. Crazy.”

Bishop has left other Steelers reporters impressed with his defense against receivers such as George Pickens.

On two repetitions against Pickens at practice on July 31, Bishop successfully caused incomplete passes.

“Mike Tomlin makes them run it back,” PennLive.com’s Nick Farabaugh wrote on X. “Pickens elevated over Bishop on a fade but Bishop pushes him out before Pickens can drag his second foot.

“2-0 Beanie Bishop wins.”

Bishop to Earn Starting Role at Slot CB?

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin tried to throw some cold water on the Bishop hype recently. On July 26, he told reporters not to “overanalyze” Bishop’s snaps with the first-team defense.

But then on July 28, the Steelers released Josiah Scott, who was a veteran cornerback competing with Bishop for snaps at slot cornerback. Bishop has only continued to perform well at practice since then competing against another veteran, Grayland Arnold.

“I know what Tomlin said, but I can’t help but ‘overanalyze’ Bishop’s involvement with the first-team defense,” Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle wrote. “He now just has Arnold to compete against, but Arnold has almost exclusively been working with the second-team defense.

“It would be one thing if they were working a rotation with Bishop getting first-team reps one day and Arnold (or Scott when he was on the roster) getting them the next day. But that really hasn’t been the case.”

McCorkle also referenced The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo’s report that Bishop has more than held his own on the first-team defense.

“He doesn’t look out of place,” Fittipaldo said on The North Shore Drive podcast. “He can run with these guys.”

Bishop earning the starting nickel cornerback role would be a huge boost for the Steelers defense. The Steelers have struggled at that spot since the departure of Mike Hilton in free agency after the 2020 season.

Bishop’s emergence could help replace Sutton early in the season. It would also provide the Steelers greater depth upon Sutton’s return.