Iron sharpens iron and right now, Beanie Bishop is shaping into a fine point.
Bishop, an undrafted free agent from West Virginia University, has stolen headlines on the defensive side of the ball. Early in training camp it seems Bishop is the odds-on favorite to be the team’s starting nickel cornerback, taking the majority of the reps with the first team.
He’s impressed against nearly every wide receiver he’s faced, even getting the better of George Pickens on a few occasions. However, if you ask him, Calvin Austin III has been his favorite and most challenging cover throughout camp.
“My favorite matchup is Calvin,” Bishop said in an interview with Prospect Media. “We working every day… even during OTAs. He is a little short, fast guy. He challenges me every day.”
Bishop went on to say that Austin provides him a different look than most bigger receivers because of his speed and fast-twitch movements. It shouldn’t come as a shock that Austin has proven to be a tough cover this training camp. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni have been vocal in their praise for the third-year receiver from Memphis.
Luckily, Austin has remained a team player throughout his successful camp, helping Bishop overcome some of the challenges with covering players like him.
“I tell Calvin, ‘Some days I get you, you get me,’” Bishop said. “Then we go in at lunch and even after reps, I’d be like, ‘What did you see here? Help me understand.’ So when it’s time to play against somebody else, boom. I already know what the receiver’s thinking.”
Bishop’s desire to learn and compete is certainly a great sign for the Steelers. They have been looking for a consistent presence at the nickel cornerback position after an ugly grouping from a season ago.
Competition seems to be the theme of Steelers training camp thus far with Jaylen Warren, Najee Harris, Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts stealing headlines after Friday’s practice. It’s a trend that coach Mike Tomlin seems to appreciate.
“We want the competition to be intense and fair,” Tomlin told reporters after Friday’s practice. “You win enough of your battles, you move up in competition. You don’t win enough of your battles, you move down in competition. That’s just the nature of this thing.”
Thus far, Bishop is winning his fair share of competition, moving up, just as Tomlin says.
