When the Buffalo Bills selected Cole Bishop in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many fans had immediate expectations that he would step right into a starting role. An early injury in the offseason set him back and opened the door for returning safety Damar Hamlin to earn the spot.
Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich recently commented on the expectations the team has for Bishop in 2025.
"I’ll never stand up here and put expectations on a player; I will never do that,” he said. “The only expectation I’ll put on them is every time they go on the field, they’re competing their butt off to be the best they can possibly be. And then secondly, I’ll say this — any player that my expectations are higher than their expectations, we got problems."
Bishop understands the expectations of the coaching staff and the fans. Hamlin re-signed a one-year deal with the Bills to stick around, but Bishop is the better athlete, and if he can figure out the mental part of the game, there isn't any reason, outside of injury, that Bishop shouldn't win the starting job.
Bishop got the start in the AFC title game for the Bills with Taylor Rapp out and led both teams in tackles with ten. We've seen shades of what the Bills saw when they made Bishop the 60th overall pick.
“I came back pretty early. I was back home for a little bit, but came back pretty early for training. So me and (Rapp) have been up here for a while now. So we’ve been working together a good bit. Obviously I have my own technical things and everything, but just trying to play faster, play more free. Compared to this time last year, I feel a lot more comfortable, obviously. So, just trying to embrace that,” said Bishop about his offseason training.
The Bills begin their mandatory minicamp this week, June 10-12, and we'll get another look at Bishop in that setting. We won't truly know how far he's come since last season until after the pads go on and the real games start in September, but all signs are pointing up for the young defensive back.
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