The best story of the 2017 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers was unquestionably, I think, the quiet rise of first-year cornerback Mike Hilton, who spent a bit of time in December 2016 on their practice squad as an undrafted rookie free agent.
The diminutive cornerback spent the entire spring and summer slowly but surely climbing the ranks, taking advantage of every opportunity that presented itself, including injuries to the likes of Senquez Golson and Cameron Sutton that bought him chances for higher-quality reps.
He went from a virtual unknown to a darkhorse to an opening-day starter in the slot, and held onto that job throughout the entire season, making an impact in all phases of the game, including run stops, interceptions, and sacks.