Steelers CB James Pierre
I debated putting James Pierre atop of this list, as the second-year corner surpassed just about everyone’s expectations so far. While he was a hot name entering camp due to his depth chart ascension late last season, the former undrafted corner had proven essentially nothing since entering the league outside of being a capable special teams’ player and looking decent in his very limited snaps on defense. He was a coin flip, as he could have just as easily flopped in camp this year.
He started the offseason off great and never looked back. Consistently his name was mentioned in camp as one of the better defensive backs and he was credited with making quite a few big plays. While his preseason games haven’t been transcendent, he has been solid in coverage and hasn’t made too many big mistakes. For all intents and purposes, he has held up well enough during the actual games.
With the Steelers secondary still surrounded in mystery, specifically how they plan on using the slot position, Pierre has seemingly provided an answer. No, he isn’t going to start over either of the outside corners, but his play should allow Cameron Sutton to move around more. He can play slot and in that hybrid dime role that he excelled at last season. Due to his strong play, Pierre has seen his stock go from questionable to extremely high.