5 Steelers players that fans should be rooting for during training camp

James Pierre

While much has been said about the Steelers’ question marks at cornerback, you can’t help but root for former undrafted free agent James Pierre. He was mostly forgotten about last year during the draft and the team landed him on a lower-level undrafted deal. Pierre went on to win a roster spot in a crowded room last season despite the fact that he had no preseason to prove himself.

He carved out a role on special teams instantly before taking on an eventual role on defense. The most impressive of it all was that he seemingly leapfrogged Justin Layne as he got on the field before Layne did in the playoffs. Now, with Steven Nelson out the door and little done to replace him, Pierre seems primed to take on a role as a starting outside cornerback in some of the defensive packages.

While it isn’t uncommon to see undrafted free agents become starters, Pierre doing it in such short order is impressive. The Steelers clearly feel comfortable with him given the fact that they never really addressed cornerback in the draft. Pierre is in a prime position to establish himself as a starter this season. The sky is the limit for him, and his underdog status makes him easy to root for this year.