A total of 35 cornerbacks were selected among the 257 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft in the last week of April.
West Virginia's Beanie Bishop Jr. was not one of them.
He did not earn an invite to Mobile, Ala., and the Senior Bowl at the end of January. He was declined the opportunity to work out at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February. He had pre-draft visits with a few teams in the days leading up to the draft, only to not have his phone ring by the time pick No. 257 came up.
Shortly after that, though, the 412 area code came calling. That line from the Steelers was the beginning of his opportunity in the NFL with a team he feels is a fit for.
"One of the only teams that brought me in on a visit and I felt that it was a mutual respect thing," Bishop said after Friday's first day of rookie minicamp on the South Side. "I felt that I would fit in here with their culture and they feel that I’m a guy that fits in, so I feel that it’s a perfect match. They need a slot and they feel that I can play the slot, so I feel that it’s just been a perfect match.”
Bishop was a consensus All-American in his lone season at West Virginia after playing at Western Kentucky for three seasons and Minnesota for one. He showed tremendous ball skills as a Mountaineer as he led the nation with 20 passes defended and gathered four interceptions. His 20 pass breakups finished three off of a tie for the all-time mark in a single season in Football Bowl Subdivision history.
The biggest concern -- pun intended -- with Bishop from the scouting process was his size.
At 5-foot-9, 182 pounds, Bishop is fairly limited to the slot against faster and smaller receivers. He has burst and speed to help make up for it, which is what helped put him on the Steelers' radar.
“Just a guy with the right mentality and don’t really showboat and all those kinds of things," Bishop said. "Just a hard worker, hard-nosed guy. I feel that’s the Pittsburgh way.”
Bishop will have to compete with Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, and sixth-round pick Ryan Watts for snaps inside of the slot, but those three cornerbacks all boast substantial length and size that might benefit Teryl Austin's defense more at the safety position, inside of the box as a blitzer or as a reserve outside cornerback behind Donte Jackson and Joey Porter Jr.
This room of "Avatars" is half full of players measuring a 6-foot-1 and above. That makes Bishop a fine fit for a position the Steelers needed to fill over the offseason.
"He's just a great player, great teammate, great person," said Zach Frazier, a fellow rookie out of West Virginia. "Just really excited for him. ... He's just always around the ball whether it's making interceptions, breaking up passes or making tackles. Plays hard."
Bishop is aware of a familiar comparison made because of his stature.
Former Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton measures at 5-foot-9, 184 pounds and went undrafted in 2016 out of Mississippi. He was originally signed by the Jaguars but landed on the Patriots' practice squad and then the Steelers' practice squad as a rookie. He would go on to play in 59 games and start in 20 in his four seasons as a Steeler.
Now 30 years old, Hilton is entering his eighth NFL season and his fourth with the Bengals. Bishop profiles exactly like Hilton did. Both are smaller than average but have the pop and burst to play the position.
“I’m a big football fan," Bishop said. "Watching Super Bowls and things like that growing up from James Harrison’s interception in the Super Bowl and all of those things and seeing Mike Hilton play recently, just got to understand how those guys are. People kind of compare me to Mike Hilton.”
Bishop maintains a close relationship with former Pitt cornerback and Raiders seventh-round pick M.J. Devonshire. He joked that he might wear some Mountaineers gear inside of the building "just to rub it in" regarding the 2023 Backyard Brawl victory. He said there is a "totally different mindset" of approaching he NFL compared to his college days.
He is fueled by self-motivation. He recounted a teacher who believed professional football would not work for him. That teacher probably saw that he was not invited to the Senior Bowl or Combine and found some validation, but Bishop was able to pique the Steelers' interest enough to earn this shot at a position that is open for the taking.
“It’s just a testament to all the work that I put in, honestly," Bishop said. "It’s just one of those things that just fuels the fire. Always felt that I was overlooked and undervalued, so it just helps me. Whenever I get comfortable or anything, remember guys didn’t think that you should be here. I had a teacher that told me, when I told her that I wanted to be a professional football player, to ‘get a real job. It’s not possible.’ I always try to do the impossible to other people even though that I know that it’s possible.”
