Bills DC says day-two rookie defenders are 'adapting well' to NFL

Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich had kind words to say about rookie safety Cole Bishop and defensive tackle DeWayne Carter.

Jan 31, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; National defensive back Cole Bishop of Utah (8) sets the play during practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports / Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills’ defense—long a unit generally regarded as one of the league’s best—saw uncharacteristic alterations in the 2024 offseason; the team hired just its second defensive coordinator of the Sean McDermott-era in Bobby Babich before parting ways with stalwart starters like Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Tre’Davious White in an effort to get younger and free up long-term financial flexibility.

The moves may ultimately have a larger impact on the heartstrings than they do on the field; Hyde and Poyer, though both still starting caliber players, are aging, while White has missed the vast majority of the past three seasons due to various significant leg injuries. The defense as a whole returns eight starters, with two of the three remaining starting roles figured to be filled by players who were with the team last season.

The team added youth to its roster as part of its offseason defensive tweaks, selecting two talented defenders on the second day of the 2024 NFL Draft. Buffalo selected Utah safety Cole Bishop in the second round before adding Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter in the third, adding potential long-term contributors in both the defensive backfield and in the trenches.

Related: WATCH: Sabres rookie dons Keon Coleman-inspired jacket after 2024 NHL Draft

Bishop has an opportunity to start immediately; the athletic defender—who notched 12 pass deflections, 7.5 sacks, and three interceptions throughout his time at Utah—joins a revamped safety group in search of new starters sans Hyde and Poyer, and though returning contributor Taylor Rapp already seems penciled into one starting spot, the competition alongside him is wide open. Carter, conversely, projects as a rotational interior defender immediately; he notched 12 sacks throughout his time at Duke, and Buffalo hopes that he can bring that juice off the bench behind the ever-stout Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones.

Nov 25, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle DeWayne Carter (90) looks on during the first half of the game against Pittsburgh Panthers at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports / Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

Both players figure to factor prominently into the Bills’ long-term plans, but they must first cement their respective places on the depth chart by impressing throughout spring and summer workouts. The two rookies have performed as well as possible given the restrictions through this point of the offseason; during a recent appearance on the Centered on Buffalo podcast, Babich spoke about the team’s day-two rookie defenders, stating that they’ve positioned themselves well for training camp.

Related: 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk does not list Bills among his Top 3 likely destinations

“I’ll say this, they’re adapting well,” Babich said. “We like to target smart football players, and they’re certainly smart football players. Coming to the NFL is different. Everybody is good. I don’t care where you played in college, I don’t care if you go all the way from NAIA up to SEC, the NFL is different. 

“They’re doing a good job adjusting, putting in the work that’s necessary to try to get them to where we need them to get to. I’m not putting expectations on them, we are literally day-to-day, drill-to-drill, meeting-to-meeting. [General manager] Brandon [Beane] did a good job of identifying some guys that fit what the Bills want. We’ll see where it goes, training camp will tell us a lot.”

It’s difficult for players (particularly in the trenches) to make an impact throughout OTAs and minicamp given the league-mandated practice restrictions; as Babich alludes to, fans will have the first opportunity to see how the two are making their respective impacts felt at this summer’s training camp, which commences at Rochester’s St. John Fisher University on July 24.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —

More Buffalo Bills News:

• Defensive Tackle Ed Oliver overlooked, but highly valuable to Bills

• New Bills WR breaks down how he'll add to revamped passing game: 'Just be yourself'

• Three AFC Teams top Bills in NFL offense projections

• Josh Allen stats that will irritate non-Bills fans

• Bills DC glows over underrated LB: 'This guy's just got it'