When the Buffalo Bills drafted safety Cole Bishop in the second round last year, it showed fans that the Bills were ready to move on from the Jordan Poyer/Micah Hyde duo. Coming out of Utah, Bishop already had familiarity with knowing tight end Dalton Kincaid (who was drafted a year prior) and he was getting the benefit of learning from Sean McDermott who was a defensive back in college.
Bishop wasn’t expected to be a starter in his first season, but with being a second-round pick fans were expecting to see him progress and become an eventual starter. He sustained an early training camp shoulder injury last year which kept him from having a real chance at earning playing time early on.
However, as the season progressed he saw more and more playing time each week and he was on the field a lot at the end of the season. Going into the 2025 season, NFL analyst Bucky Brooks is a huge believer in Bishop as he has placed Bishop on his 2025 NFL All-Breakout Team. Here's a bit on what Brooks said about Bishop:
"The former Utah standout's athleticism and versatility should help him shine in a defense that prioritizes fast and physical play. With head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich intent on utilizing simplistic schemes to make the game easy, we could see Bishop shine as a playmaking defender in the middle of the field."Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
Cole Bishop set to step up big time for Bills in 2025
Even with the Bills bringing back Damar Hamlin and signing Darrick Forrest, Bishop is the future for Buffalo’s safety position. He’s not afraid to hit and he showed flashes of being able to be solid in pass coverage. For now, Taylor Rapp is the best safety on the Bills but with Bishop having a year under his belt, he could very well take the next step forward to show the Bills that they made the right choice to spend a second round pick on him.
Up first is training camp for Bishop where he will still need to compete for playing time and with a crowded safety room, he will need to shine early on to earn the trust of the coaches.