Center Zach Frazier isn’t the only West Virginia rookie who could earn a starting spot with a strong performance Saturday night against the Buffalo Bills. Slot corner Beanie Bishop, who was the first-team nickelback for most of the summer, could also earn his spot.
If there was a surprise in training camp — and there weren’t many this year — it was Bishop, who worked in the slot for most of training camp. He started at the position, initially splitting time with SS DeShon Elliott, but was well ahead of the experienced Grayland Arnold in the first week and in the team’s season opener.
After recovering from an injury during training camp, the pair switched, with Arnold vying for the team’s starting cornerback position. However, he suffered a calf injury while attempting to block a kick return during the final training camp. He was carried off the field and placed on the injured list on Thursday, meaning he won’t be able to return from the injured list until later this year.
That puts Bishop back in “pole position,” to steal Mike Tomlin’s phrase. His biggest internal competition is Thomas Graham Jr., who I’ve called the “darling of camp” this year, but it would take an upset for Graham to overtake Bishop. Graham has been aggressive and made good plays on the football, but he lacks value on special teams and may not be aggressive enough in run support to earn the nod.
Put another way, it’s Bishop’s job to lose. His play this summer may have been over-hyped by some media outlets, a good performance but not a great or dominant one. He battled WR Calvin Austin III, winning some reps, losing others. But he had impressive moments, jumping in the air after a nickel blitz to dunk an attempted screen pass from Justin Fields, and Bishop was aggressive and fiery in the season opener, blasting that running back on a blitz.
According to our records, he allowed completions on both passes aimed at him last Friday night, but neither play was overly bad and only resulted in 22 yards.
Beanie Bishop still needs to be evaluated further, particularly in coverage against bigger receivers who could give him matchup problems. If he can prove his mettle against the Buffalo Bills, who are expected to use their starters in the first 20-25 minutes, he could have the slot job before he hops on a plane to Detroit to play in the Steelers’ final preseason game.
