PITTSBURGH — On April 27, Beanie Bishop Jr. gathered his closest friends and family members together in Louisville, Ky., for Day 3 of the NFL Draft. As the Pittsburgh Steelers’ final pick neared, the room grew quiet with anxious anticipation.
Bishop, a 5-foot-9, 182-pound defensive back, was coming off an All-American season at West Virginia, during which he led FBS in pass breakups and passes defended. At the Big 12 Pro Day in March, he ran a blistering 4.39 40-yard dash, fastest of any participant.
While his stats and speed made Bishop an enticing player, the Louisville native was honest with himself, knowing from experience that many teams wouldn’t look past his size. But after an encouraging pre-draft visit to Pittsburgh, Bishop figured the Steelers — a team that often utilizes undersized DBs in the nickel and had a need for one — would be his last, best chance to get drafted.
Read more about Bishop’s journey to becoming a Steelers playmaker below.
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Beanie Bishop’s path from ‘overlooked and undervalued’ to Steelers playmaker