The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing a notable player as an undrafted free agent, adding West Virginia CB Beanie Bishop after today’s draft.
While Bishop wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, he did participate in the East-West Shrine Bowl and WVU teammate Zach Frazier gave him a shoutout during his Combine interview. Frazier, a second-round pick by the Steelers on Friday, said he believed that he, along with his West Virginia teammate Doug Nester, deserved an invite.
“I feel like Beanie and Doug Nester should be here. That’s just my opinion,” Frazier said. “I feel like Beanie had a great season and Doug too. I feel like they should both be here.”
Bishop led the nation in passes defensed last season with 24 and added four interceptions while also being named an All-American. He profiles as a slot corner in the NFL after measuring 5091 and 182 pounds at the Shrine Bowl. The Steelers had at least assistant OL coach Isaac Williams at the Big 12 Pro Day, and they hosted Bishop for a pre-draft visit as a local visitor. He began his career at Western Kentucky before transferring to Minnesota and later West Virginia. Bishop also has upside as a returner, as he was a C-USA honorable mention at Western Kentucky as a kick returner.
Bishop had a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown against North Carolina, one of just two returns he registered in 2023.
The Steelers don’t currently have a reliable slot corner option on the roster, and that’s a role Bishop could fill as a rookie. Our scouting report praised his ball skills while noting that he has a tendency to occasionally give up big plays, which is one of the reasons why he fell to Day 3 in the Draft. But the Steelers clearly liked enough of what they saw and heard during Bishop’s pre-draft visit to take a flier on him as a potential option in the slot.
Our Joe Clark spoke with Bishop at length during this year’s East/West Shrine Bowl.
Check out our full scouting report on Beanie Bishop below.
