6 late round Steelers who will make an impact in the 2021 season

James Pierre

No Steelers currently on the roster is more intriguing than James Pierre in terms of what his 2021 season will have in store. He was a relatively forgotten about undrafted player last season that shined despite there being no preseason. He did enough to earn a roster spot outright. That alone is a great sign for him as earning a spot in such a difficult offseason was a surprise. He followed that up by eventually working his way up the depth chart, leapfrogging Justin Layne, and eventually seeing defensive snaps late in the season and during the playoffs.

Now, with Hilton and Steven Nelson out the door, Pierre is slated to get the nod at outside cornerback whenever Sutton has to move inside to the slot. Unless the team adds another outside option, he is the favorite to take on this role. This is a huge opportunity for him, as going from a lowly undrafted player with little chance of making the roster to a potential starter in a years’ time screams of the potential he has.

While Layne and the rest of the cornerback depth chart will certainly be vying for his spot as a starter, currently it seems as if this is Pierre’s spot to lose. Being able to count on Pierre to play a significant amount of snaps on defense despite being undrafted will be a huge win for the team. Add in the fact that the Steelers have had notable struggles when drafting a cornerback and having Pierre develop into a starter would be a monumental win for this defense.

While the majority of the Steelers starters and stars were early-round picks, there are plenty of late-round and undrafted players set to take on a notable role this season. The six names on this list were all taken in the sixth round or later and all are poised to be significant contributors in 2021. Here’s to hoping that they outplay their draft status and prove to be gems for this team going forward.