There's still some time until training camp, preseason and the regular season, but the Steelers' plans at cornerback might be coming together already. And James Pierre could be a big piece of them.
Pierre, who made the team last year as an undrafted free agent, impressed during Wednesday's minicamp practice at Heinz Field.
The 6-foot-2, second-year cornerback confirmed that he intercepted Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice during team activities.
"Ben is not just throwing anybody the ball," Pierre said. "It's precious to get one of those. From (what I saw) last year, he's throwing away from you, so it's hard to get it from Ben. Getting those, it made me smile. But just to see the other guys (celebrating), it made me happier."
One of Pierre's picks of Roethlisberger came during a two-minute drill session towards the end of the minicamp session.
"After practice, Ben came up to me, told me good job, gave me a fist bump," Pierre said. "It built my confidence a little bit."
Pierre is an intriguing prospect. He has size, he's a sticky defender, and he clearly has a knack for playmaking. He's also a solid special teams player.
He played 50 percent of the Steelers' special teams snaps in 2020 to only 3 percent of the team's defensive snaps. So his abilities as a specialist allowed him to get a chance in Pittsburgh in the first place.
"He didn't play a lot of defense, but he had a helmet on," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "Every week, he was a critical component of our special teams unit, and that usually is a pretty good indication that a guy is ready to proceed and advance."
Pierre's journey to the NFL wasn't exactly easy. A standout player at Deerfield Beach High School, he initially committed to Miami, then switched his commitment to North Carolina before settling on Syracuse. However, in 2016, he was ruled academically ineligible to play for the Orange and transferred to Florida Atlantic.
"Just being where I'm from, not too many of us make it out," Pierre said. "I'm emotional about it. Being from my background, it's really hard for us. I can't go back, that's all I was thinking."
Pierre hasn't had to go back. He shined at Florida Atlantic, but never heard his name called in the 2020 draft. Then the Steelers called.
"I don't know what everybody missed, and I don't know what we missed, because we're part of that group and we got him as a free agent," secondary coach Teryl Austin said. "He's big, he's long, he runs. The biggest thing that stood out from last year was how hard he competed, his interest in 'what can I do to get better,' and taking what he was told and applying it."
The Steelers have depth issues in their secondary. The team lost slot corner Mike Hilton and outside corner Steve Nelson this offseason. So Pierre, with a good training camp and preseason, has an opportunity to make the team as more than a special teams player.
That's not to say Pierre won't be in for competition. The Steelers have holes in their secondary, but they have plenty of contenders for those spots. Joe Haden and Cam Sutton are locks to be starters. Justin Layne is back for a third season and the team has rookies in Tre Norwood and Shakur Brown who are capable of playing the corner position.
But a year of experience will likely help Pierre against his younger teammates and competitors.
"He's one of those second year guys that we all have high expectations for," Tomlin said. "I think it's reasonable when you've been around a guy who has been in the program and kind of understands what to expect, what's needed of him physically, what's needed of him mentally.
"I think we're looking for all of those second year players who gained experience. And that guy gained a lot of experience last year."
Pierre's next step is to finish minicamp on a high note Thursday, and then carry that play into training camp and his first preseason schedule as a pro player.
"I have confidence knowing that I can play in the NFL," he said. "But sometimes there's things you can't control. You just have to work hard, and take it one day at a time."
