Every year, rookies who don’t get selected in the draft make an impact in the league, and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Beanie Bishop Jr. wants to be part of the next wave of such players. The young defensive back has good company in 2022 college free agent Jaylen Warren on the roster. Warren burst onto the scene and continues to rise, with no cap on how far he can take this.
Part of college free agents making an impact, however, is finding the right fit. That’s why many say late-round picks are better off going undrafted, because they have more control over their destination. It sounds as though Bishop was well aware of that and chose carefully.
“With the tradition here of winning and having a great defense, I felt like I wanted to be a part of something like that”, he told reporters, via Teresa Varley writing for the team’s website. “Also, the opportunity to play on defense and special teams, all of those things. This gives me the best opportunity to make the 53-man roster”.
He’s almost undoubtedly right. For a start, the Steelers were one of the few teams who showed him an extensive amount of interest. You always have a better shot going to a place where you know they like what you can do. General manager Omar Khan almost needed a wardrobe change when talking about him after the draft.
On top of that, they are thin at Bishop’s primary position of slot defender. Arguably, they don’t even have a starter to man the spot right now, so perhaps he can even get on the field. But he’s also very conscious of the path most in his shoes must take, through special teams.
“I feel like that’s where I separate myself as far as playing defensive back”, Bishop said about special teams work, which he knows the Steelers value. “Being able to return and make a lot of plays, whether that’s on punt return, kick return, being the gunner on punt team, running down on kickoff, whatever it is. I played all the special teams and I feel like that adds value to my game”.
The Steelers brought Bishop in for a pre-draft visit, though he didn’t count as their top 30. As a West Virginia product, the NFL classifies him as a “local” prospect. Still, Pittsburgh clearly liked him, and I’m betting they gave him a nice little signing bonus.
Bishop also talked about his love for the physicality of the game, which you know head coach Mike Tomlin loves in his slot cornerbacks especially. He once gave a talk to Arthur Maulet telling him how he believes he can do what Mike Hilton did.
The Steelers target that kind of physicality out of the slot defender position, and that’s why Bishop is here. Through mutual interest, of course, because Bishop knows the Steelers fit his game, and they have a fit for him. Whether that’s on defense or on special teams, he has a really good shot at sticking to the 53-man roster.
