Bills plan to 'put a lot' of responsibility on new starting safety

The Buffalo Bills plan to "put a lot" on Taylor Rapp's plate, and through training camp thus far, the safety has answered the call.

Kyle Silagyi | Aug 5, 2024

Bills defensive back Taylor Rapp eyes in the ball during interception drills. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott tipped his hand a bit when discussing his team’s presumptive safety battle in early June, suggesting that Taylor Rapp had already been penciled into one of two starting spots while stating that the 26-year-old had “asserted himself” into a leadership role within the secondary.

It wasn’t a necessarily surprising development, as Rapp has been an assumed successor at safety at One Bills Drive since he inked a one-year deal with the Bills in the 2023 offseason; the defensive back, to that point, had 48 career starts with the Los Angeles Rams under his belt, but he was joining a Buffalo safety room that was firmly led by stalwarts Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. The acquisition of Rapp was viewed as a long-term signing with short-term upside, and while he did play on roughly 40% of the team’s defensive snaps last season, the notion was proven correct in the 2024 offseason when the team parted ways with both Hyde and Poyer while concurrently re-signing Rapp to a three-year deal.

The 2023 season was a ramp-up for Rapp, a year for him to acclimate himself to Buffalo’s complex defensive scheme before ultimately ascending into a more prominent role in the defensive backfield. He’s been adjusting to the increased responsibility throughout camp, and he’s, to this point, impressed; defensive coordinator Bobby Babich spoke about Rapp’s role during a Monday press conference, telling reporters that the team is going to put a lot on his plate come the regular season.

“We’re going to put a lot on Taylor Rapp,” Babich said. “We’re going to put a lot on Taylor Rapp. We’re going to put a lot on all of our safeties. That’s the expectation here, and I’m probably harder on them than most positions, and that’s, when you’re in your eighth year here, you understand the importance of that communication and you never want to lose sight or take for granted the execution piece of what we’ve done over the eight years.

“But that has no indication of what we’re doing moving forward, so that heightened sense of awareness and urgency with that communication is all the time. All the time, no matter who is here, no matter what, there is a sense of urgency of how our safeties have to communicate.”

As Babich alludes to, Buffalo’s defense perhaps puts more responsibility on its safeties than the average NFL defense, and thus, confidence and flawless communication are not an added benefit, but a necessity. Excellence has long been expected and assumed from the position given the presence of Hyde and Poyer; with Rapp now positioned as the team’s presumed leader at the position, it’s up to him to carry the load.

Bills defensive backs Taylor Rapp, right, and Damar Hamlin battle for possession of the ball during drills. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

He’s shown promise through this point of camp, though Babich was quick to note that the defense, as a whole, has significant work to do.

“He’s done a great job,” Babich said. “He’s done a great job, and we’re going to continue to push him. Definitely up to this point, he’s answered the bell, but we’re not where we need to be at all as a defense.”

It will be strange for the Buffalo faithful to watch the team’s secondary swarm around the field sans Hyde and Poyer this fall, as the two have combined for 202 starts over the past seven seasons. That said, Rapp seems positioned to maintain the standard they set both on and off the field; he’s recorded 380 tackles, 25 pass deflections, and 10 interceptions throughout his five-year professional career.

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