The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted one of the best classes in this year's NFL Draft, according to many analysts and experts. The team drafted several offensive linemen, along with some defensive specialists and a wide receiver. Pittsburgh also signed an un drafted free agent, that could be quite valuable to the team. This free agent will not only find a spot on the Steelers' roster, but he will find a way to make a difference in games for the team this season. Here's a little information about this young man.
1 undrafted free agent who can make Steelers roster
The Steelers didn't look too far to find an un drafted player that will help the team. His name is Beanie Bishop, and he played his college football just down the road 75 miles away at West Virginia. Bishop is a cornerback who also saw some action on special teams. Bishop played one season at West Virginia, joining the Mountaineers after playing for Minnesota and Western Kentucky. In his one season in Morgantown, Bishop made quite a lasting impact.
During his final college season in 2023, Bishop had a career-high 67 tackles, including 54 solo stops. He also grabbed four interceptions, including a circus catch against Central Florida where he took the ball away from an opposing player after it hit the player's legs. Bishop also finished the season with 20 passes defended, and built a reputation as one of the best defensive backs in the Big 12 conference.
He wasn't just a threat on defense. Bishop also had a spectacular play on special teams, that got all Mountaineer fans talking. In WVU's bowl game against North Carolina, Bishop returned a punt return 78 yards for a touchdown. West Virginia finished the season at 9-4, and defeated North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl, behind Bishop's spectacular play all over the field.
Bishop's accolades
The cornerback was awarded for his play with a selection to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team. He shared the honor with his teammate Zach Frazier, who was drafted by the Steelers in the NFL Draft's second round. Bishop was also a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given to the best defensive player in college football. While the cornerback lost the award to Payton Wilson, to be a finalist is truly an honor. Wilson, by the way, was also drafted by the Steelers.
With all of these accolades, it is reasonable to ask why Bishop went un drafted in the 2024 Draft. It is somewhat of a mystery, but the possible answer lies with his size. Bishop doesn't have the typical size of an NFL cornerback.
Bishop is listed as 5-foot-10, and 184 pounds. He was seen by many as too small, and too short to be able to play on a NFL starting defense. His size kept teams from drafting him in the 2024 selection show, but the Steelers were willing to take a chance on the young man. Steelers general manager Omar Khan praised Bishop's performance at the NFL combine.
“Yeah, Beanie Bishop. I can’t tell you how excited we were to have an opportunity to sign Beanie Bishop after the draft. We had him here for a visit. When he was here, we talked about our defense and how he would fit in. We really felt like he was a guy that could come in here and compete,” Khan said, per WDVE Radio.
What Bishop may lack in size, he seems to make up in heart. His college career statistics are impressive. He finished his college career with 170 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 29 passes defended. This is in spite of playing at three different schools, and three different conference. Bishop buzzes around the field, and his heart and passion will keep him contending for a roster spot in Pittsburgh. Some time in the weight room will help him put on some muscle, and while he can't make himself that much taller, his quickness and speed seem to be able to compensate.
The Steelers did draft one defensive back, in the sixth round of the 2024 event. Pittsburgh selected Ryan Watts, who also played in the Big 12 at Texas. Watts is also a cornerback, so Bishop will have some competition heading into training camp for a spot. Time will tell if Bishop is able to carve out his place on the roster.
The Steelers finished the 2023 season losing in the AFC Playoffs to the Buffalo Bills. The team finished the campaign with a 10-7 record.
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