Bills Central

Buffalo Bills Select Utah Safety Cole Bishop in 2024 NFL draft. What You Need to Know

Bills second round pick safety Cole Bishop brings leadership, strong football instincts and physicality.

Chris Pirrone

Oct 14, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes safety Cole Bishop (8) looks on against the
Oct 14, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes safety Cole Bishop (8) looks on against the / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

If you like physical safeties who play with instinct and presence, you’re going to be a fan of Utah Utes safety Cole Bishop.

Bishop was three-year starter at safety who brings versatility to the Bills' secondary. He can fulfill a number of different roles and assignments which makes matching up against various WR sets (like the Dolphins use) and overall game-planning easier for new Defensive Coordinator Bobby Babich.

  • Utah
  • Junior
  • 2023 Team Captain
  • HOMETOWN: Peachtree City, GA
Utah Utes safety Cole Bishop (6) jumps on a fumble by Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon
Utah Utes safety Cole Bishop (6) jumps on a fumble by Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Strengths

Bishop has a high motor and uses maximum effort on every play. He plays physical against the run and can make plays in space against faster defenders by being able to smoothly transition to stay with pass catchers or otherwise show a burst to attack the football. He has a presence and instinct that allow him to make impactful plays on a weekly basis for the Utes.

His specialty is underneath coverage and playing close to the line of scrimmage. He is quick to identify plays and has an innate ability to find the football to quickly disrupt offenses. His 2023 stats showed his ability to impact the game across all key defensive statistical categories, including tackles, sacks, pass break ups, interceptions, and forced fumbles.

Draft analyst Kyle Crabbs writes: "He has the makings of an impact starter thanks to strong peripheral vision, as well as the length and mobility to offer an impressive area of influence as a tackler. His budding ball skills are starting to show up more often in coverage, too, suggesting there's developmental upside here of which he's just scratching the surface. Should he continue to find the ball more in coverage, Bishop has the makings of a potential Pro Bowl player in the future."

Doug Farrar, USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire expert analyzed Bishop: "Bishop has on-field speed that stands out on tape; it gives him the ability to play everywhere, including blitzer, robber and post safety. He can match and carry speed receivers up the chute and to either boundary, and he has true sideline-to-sideline burst both as a safety and occasionally as an outside cornerback. On-field speed can be a blessing and a curse. He's eager to get to the receiver, but can be waylaid by backfield action and route concepts. Tackling can be an adventure. Bishop has the acceleration to get anywhere, but you don't always know what's going to happen from a tackling perspective when he gets there."

My favorite line from Farrar: "Bishop is one of the more fun players to watch in this draft class; you’ll want to throw on some early Metallica as a soundtrack for his play style."

Combine Statistics:

  • 6’ 2’’
  • 206 lbs
  • 4.45 40-yard dash
  • 1.52 10-yard split
  • 39’’ Vertical Jump
  • 10'4" Broad Jump
  • 29 3/4’’ arm length
  • 9 1/2’’ hand
  • 2024 Combine safety position rank: 2nd

See more Cole Bishop game hightlights via Youtube.

Utah Statistics

2023:

  • Second-team All-Pac-12 Conference.
  • Played in 11 games with 10 starts
  • 60 tackles
  • 6.5 Tackle For Loss
  • 3 sacks
  • 2 INTs
  • 3 pass break ups
  • 1 forced fumble
  • Team captain

2022:

  • Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 Conference
  • Led the team with 83 tackles
  • Played in all 14 games with 13 starts
  • 6 TFL
  • 1.5 sacks
  • 1 INT
  • 3 pass break ups

2021

  • Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 Conference.
  • Played in 10 games with starts in the final 6 contests
  • 54 tackles
  • 9 TFL
  • 3 sacks
  • 5 PBUs
  • blocked kick
Published |Modified
Chris Pirrone
CHRIS PIRRONE