6 Steelers that will turn heads during training camp in 2021

Steelers James Pierre

James Pierre has already had some good news surfaced about his play. OTA’s saw quite a few reports say that he was impressing and was making some good coverage plays. Considering the former undrafted corner is slated to be the outside corner whenever Cameron Sutton kicks to the slot, this is all good news. That said, these reports should only continue to come out once camp rolls around.

Frankly, based on reports from as far as training camp last year, Pierre seems to have a knack for getting turnovers in camp. While training camp play is far from actual gameplay, being a ball hawk will certainly get you noticed. Heck, more than likely that was the reason Pierre made the roster last year. If he can continue showing up in camp, it should seal his job as the primary boundary corner in three corner sets. Essentially, he would be responsible for covering an outside corner on 70-80 percent of the defensive plays.

To be successful as a Steelers cornerback though, you can’t just be a ball hawk. You have to also be able to stop the run. Now, Pierre has the size to be effective here, but run defense is a notably undesirable aspect of being a corner. Pierre isn’t in a place where he has the luxury to avoid run contact, but he may have to work on his overall run defense in camp if he wants to remain on the defense long-term. That all said, the traits he has shown so far make him a favorite to be a camp star in 2021.