Three Sleepers That Stood Out at Steelers OTAs
Who were some of the sleepers that stood out at Pittsburgh Steelers OTAs? Here are three names to keep an eye out coming out of that.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers often have a few guys begin to plant seeds as standout players during OTAs. In the past, I have seen guys like Jaylen Warren put their stamp on things starting around this time, and once training camp came around, that is when everything would take off. So, three players who stood out at OTAs would be under the radar.
Beanie Bishop, Slot CB
This is one of my more apparent picks from these three weeks. Bishop is up there with the most impressive player to come out of this period, and I very much think that he is positioning himself in an excellent spot to make a roster push in training camp and the preseason. He has faced numerous challenges, including from fellow rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson, and I would say that Bishop has stuck out from the crowd.
It’s a little different because Bishop is actively working only in coverage. I think it’s hard to measure his grit and physicality as a blitzer when you can barely touch anyone and the pads are not on. Still, Bishop has proven to be a disruptor across the nine days of practice, and he has frustrated just about everyone he has gone up against.
So, Bishop’s doing an excellent job of embracing his role in the defense and consolidating what he can do in coverage against fellow rookies and other veterans. He put his name on the map to coaches, and training camp should be even more eventful with Bishop playing this well.
Nate Meadors, Safety
I am calling Meadors a safety because that is where he has played the most. He spent last season with the Cleveland Browns but has spent time in Minnesota with the Vikings, learning under Harrison Smith. Meadors is a physically imposing player and looks big to be a safety, so it makes sense that he had a background as a press-man cornerback in college. But he flashed play after play at OTAs.
Meadors took what would have been a pick-six back during a goal-line drill and, in the last week of practices, amounted to at least five pass breakups. He has great range, and with his length, he disrupts throwing windows from a single-high safety role at a high level. However, he can cover tight ends and slot receivers due to his background as a cornerback, and he has found an overhang slot cornerback role.
Around this time last year, Elijah Riley stamped himself as someone to watch, but Meadors is trying to be this year’s version of that. That safety room has a lot of bodies in it, and Meadors will have to do a fair amount to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, but he is proving to be a versatile ballhawk, which is a great first step toward doing that.
Dez Fitzpatrick, Wide Receiver
I think Dez Fitzpatrick is criminally underrated when discussing the bottom of this wide receiver roster. I don’t blame people for throwing Marquez Callaway and Denzel Mims around more there, considering their pedigree. Still, Fitzpatrick was on the team’s 53-man roster at times last season and is an excellent special teamer. Last year, he had excellent OTAs, which allowed him to earn a practice squad spot.
Fitzpatrick is doing much of the same this season. He has sure hands and is savvy enough as a receiver to prove his veteran pedigree. But on special teams, he might be the most natural gunner out of the entire group behind the top three. His special team’s insight, especially with the new kickoff rules and a huge hole at gunner, gives Fitzpatrick an into the roster that others in that room do not have.
We’ll see where that wide receiver situation goes, and I think they do add someone, but Fitzpatrick is a sneaky under-the-radar name that has a real chance to crack the roster due to his special teams versatilty.
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