Buffalo Bills 2024 NFL Draft: S Cole Bishop’s preliminary evaluation
In Round 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills selected Utah safety Cole Bishop with their second pick. After Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde’s tenure as the team’s long-standing safety duo ended in 2023, the Bills hope to start a new chapter with Cole Bishop.
If you didn’t already know, I thought highly of Bishop and had him as my third overall safety. I believe the Buffalo Bills will be a great fit for him!
The College Career of Cole Bishop
Cole Bishop’s college career in 2021: Honorable Mention in the Pac-12 Conference. 54 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 PBUs, and 9 TFL
Honorable Mention in the Pac-12 Conference for 2022. 83 tackles, 6 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT, and 3 PBUs led the team.
All-Pac-12 Conference Second Team in 2023. 60 TFL, 6.5 TFL, 2 INTs, 3 PBUs, FF, and 3 sacks
Results of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine for Cole Bishop.
- 6′ 2″ in height
- 206 pounds in weight
- 4.45 seconds for the 40-yard dash
- 1.52 seconds for the 10-yard split
- Vertical leap: 39″
- Wide leap: 10’4″
Bishop is a terrific athlete—the stats don’t lie. It’s ridiculous to display these kinds of athletic testing results at his weight and height.
During this play, Bishop was positioned in the slot and used his excellent zone vision to turn his man away and lay the hit stick to block up the pass.
On this play, Bishop was positioned as the deep-half safety. To locate the wide receiver to break on, he sifted through the bunch routes. He closes with a very astonishing pace.
Bishop can be useful in the inside of the box while stopping the run.
Bishop can play deep safety because of his athleticism and instincts. He has excellent safety and movement.
Bishop, who recorded 7.5 sacks throughout his college career, also possesses natural blitzing ability.
How the Buffalo Bills can use Cole Bishop
For the Bills, Bishop ought to get started right away, in my opinion. He may be used in the box, covering slots or tight ends, acting as a blitzer, or playing deep safety, among other responsibilities. I think Sean McDermott, the head coach, will eventually use him in a manner akin to how Jordan Poyer was used in the past.
Bishop won’t be close to the player Poyer had been right away, but they can move him about a little more and give him the opportunity to develop into a comparable role once he feels more at ease in the system. Bishop’s ability to control traffic and ensure his teammates were on the same page while in college, analogous to what Poyer and Hyde were able to accomplish for the Bills, is a huge plus.
Bishop’s potential on Buffalo’s defense excites me, and I’m happy with how well he seems to mesh with the Bills. Bishop ought to be the Buffalo Bills’ starting safety play for many years to come.
