The 2026 Offseason Safety Plan: Figuring Out Half the Equation

The 2026 NFL season is about to get underway, and the Buffalo Bills have a lot of questions to answer. Though they wish the group had the same level of certainty as the tight ends, the safety position looks like one that can be molded into a strength.

General manager Brandon Beane will be tasked with finding a good fit to play opposite budding star Cole Bishop. More importantly, he has to find a safety that will fit in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s scheme. Thankfully, the Bills have a few options.

The Buffalo Bills 2026 offseason playbook for the safety position

The known quantities

Unlike the defensive line, which has several pieces on board that can be moved around, there are fewer certainties at safety. The best option is Bishop, who began emerging as a legitimate stud as the 2025 season progressed.

It became obvious with each passing week that his confidence was growing, and he even paired up well with veteran Jordan Poyer. Bishop will be a core piece of the 2026 defense and beyond, especially on a favorable rookie contract.

Taylor Rapp is perhaps the most divisive player in the Bills' secondary. He had a solid 2024 but clearly regressed and was hurt during much of 2025. Because depth is so thin, he may be kept around at least through the draft to give the Bills some flexibility. Even still, he is very much a cut candidate.

The only other known quantity at the moment is Jordan Hancock. A fifth-round pick in 2025, Hancock stepped in late because of injuries and wasn’t out of place. He is still raw in terms of his potential at the position and would be better served as a clear backup and sometimes rotational piece.

Free Agents who could come back

The free agent options are nostalgic but not enticing. Poyer was brought in late last season and filled in well, but he is 34 years old and has clearly lost a step. It would be fine to have him back as a veteran minimum depth piece, but he is no longer an option as a starting strong safety.

With all due respect to Darnell Savage, Damar Hamlin is the only other free agent worth discussing. He was decent at times when pressed into service, but doesn’t seem to be much more than a depth piece moving forward. His time in Buffalo is almost certainly done.

Preferred moves

The Bills ideally move on from Poyer and Hamlin. Investment in the position would start in free agency, hopefully with the signing of Colts safety Nick Cross (depending on his AAV) or the Cardinals' Jalen Thompson. Thompson is the more versatile option, someone who would allow Leonhard to be more creative with Bishop’s alignments.

The other course of action will be to invest a premium pick at the position. Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman would be a fantastic fit in Leonhard’s defense and could be available in the second round. With pressing needs at receiver and edge, it is unlikely that Beane takes safety in the first.

If the Bills go the free agency route, taking a developmental safety in the late rounds would be ideal for both depth and future outlook of the position.

Bills Safety Outlook for 2026

The Bills are facing a glaring need at safety aside from Bishop. Someone who can step into the lineup and preferably play at strong safety would be ideal. There are options with premium draft picks, but those may be earmarked for other positions of need.

If the Bills can find a halfway decent starting option to go alongside Bishop, it could be a low-key strength for 2026. Bishop’s development will be key, but there is at least some playmaking certainty already built into the position.