Is James Pierre having the best camp of anyone in a Steelers uniform?

James Pierre has been remarkable in the early going. Here’s why one report suggests that he has been the best player at Steelers training camp. 

If James Pierre stock was something you could actually buy, you may have already missed the window to do so. Despite being a former undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic in 2020, the young cornerback is quickly becoming a center of attention for Steelers media this summer.

On one hand, I want to hamper expectations. Pierre has just 27 career regular-season defensive snaps under his belt, according to Pro Football Reference, and I don’t want to make him out to be something that he isn’t. On the other hand, it’s looking more and more like the hype with James Pierre is real.

Since Steelers training camp practices kicked off at Heinz Field, Pierre has been one of the most consistent players on either side of the football, and he certainly hasn’t been lacking in splash plays (I believe he has three interceptions in camp so far).

Pierre carried this dominant performance onto the big stage for his first two exhibition games – earning respectable grades from Pro Football Focus. They aren’t the only ones taking notice of his performance this summer, according to Colin Dunlap of 93.7 The Fan, someone ‘within the Steelers organization’ believes James Pierre is having the best camp of anybody:

Is Steelers CB James Pierre as good as advertised?

This is a tough question and one that we may not have answers to until we see him in much more NFL game action this year. The Steelers were obviously very high on Pierre last year. Not only did the undrafted rookie stick around on the roster, but he started to carve out a role late in the season and into the playoffs.

Could this have been part of the reason for letting go of Steven Nelson? Perhaps his progress helped play a factor in Pittsburgh’s brass making that decision.

What we do know is that Pierre has been one of the stars of the training camp so far for the Steelers – I think that’s something that everyone in the media circle would agree on. Pierre has consistently displayed sticky coverage and the ability to turn around and make plays on the ball in the air.

While it’s a long shot to think that James Pierre will develop into a great NFL cornerback, we couldn’t have asked for a better summer from him so far. The fact that someone within the Steelers organization reportedly thinks he’s having a better camp than anyone is telling.