One Steelers sleeper for every position for 2021 camp

Steelers Mark Gilbert

Cornerback has quite a few sleepers this season. From James Pierre, as he hopes to go from undrafted rookie last year to essentially a starter this year, to Stephen Denmark, a freaky athlete who has yet to put it all together, to Shakur Brown given his enticing traits as a potential slot cornerback. That said, none of these options combine the developmental potential and underdog status that Mark Gilbert has.

For those of you that are unaware, Gilbert was a sophomore stud at Duke, picking off six passes and showcasing some strong traits in coverage. He was on the path to being a high draft pick until a string of injuries caused him to play a total of four games over the next three seasons. He had good athletic testing numbers this offseason though, indicating that the injuries may not have a long-term impact on Gilbert. If that is the case and he still has the coverage skills he showed early on, he should be a strong camp player.

Assuming his health holds up, expect Gilbert to make a serious push for a backup spot. Like Pierre before him, if he can prove to be that valuable to the Steelers, they will have no choice but to keep him in fear of another team poaching him. He has a long way to go and quite a bit of competition ahead of him, but Gilbert has all the traits to excel in camp.