Not since the days of Mike Hilton have the Pittsburgh Steelers had that true feisty, chip-on-the-shoulder slot cornerback who stepped in right away and made an impact on and off the field.
They might have that now, thanks to West Virginia’s Beanie Bishop Jr.
Signed as an undrafted free agent following the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft Saturday, Bishop has a real opportunity in front of him with the Steelers, who currently do not have that smaller, physical slot corner on the roster currently with Chandon Sullivan still a free agent.
For West Virginia head coach Neal Brown, who appeared on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Monday with co-hosts Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson, the Steelers are getting an “extremely hungry” Bishop in the secondary, one who plays with a chip on his shoulder that will only grow larger after he went undrafted despite a great 2023 season in Morgantown.
“He’s your ultimate guy that’s a chip on his shoulder. And he is gonna be extremely hungry,” Brown said of Bishop, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “He’s an intelligent football player, and I believe he’ll have, I think, a great opportunity to make the team.”
Bishop certainly has a great opportunity to make the team as an undrafted free agent.
Despite just one season at West Virginia, Bishop had a great season. He recorded 20 pass breakups as he was constantly around the football and really emerged as a leader in the Mountaineers’ secondary, Brown stated, adding he is forever indebted to Bishop for the investments he made in the young players at WVU.
Coming out of WVU, Bishop measures in at 5091 and 182 pounds, which was measured at the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl in Dallas.Â
Along with his measurements, Bishop clocked a 4.39 40-yard dash, had a 10’0″ broad jump and a 33.5-inch vertical jump. Despite the strong testing numbers, he scored a low 6.30 Relative Athletic Score, which dinged him for his overall size and length, which isn’t a surprise.
Despite that smaller frame, he brings that “angry little person” mentality that head coach Mike Tomlin looks for in a slot cornerback. With his experience at the collegiate level and being 24 years old coming out of school, combined with the interest the Steelers showed in him, hosting him as an official pre-draft visit, there’s a good chance that he takes the opportunity and runs with it — much like Hilton did ahead of the 2017 season, carving out a role in the slot.
