The Buffalo Bills need a talent infusion at safety for 2026

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (3) can only watch as Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop (24) intercepts the ball on the last play of the game in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills had a safety problem last season - at least until they didn't. In the early going, they had Taylor Rapp playing hurt and Cole Bishop playing poorly. After a few weeks, though, they benched Rapp so that he could allow his injured knee to heal - something that caused him to miss the rest of the season - and inserted a familiar face into the starting lineup. From that point forward, Buffalo's safeties once again seemed to be a strength.

With such a positive development as the season wore on, I wish I could report more positive developments at the position moving forward. However, that's not the case at the moment. Buffao is perilously thin at the safety position, as they've moved on from Rapp and lost another key contributor via free agency. The Bills need to figure out their safety room, and while they have time to do it, the pickings are slim.

In our latest discussion of the state of the Buffalo Bills roster, we profile the safety group.
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Jordan Poyer

Contract Status for 2026:Unsigned; UFA

Age:34 (35 on 4/25/2026)

Playing Time:10 games (9 starts), 428 defensive snaps (43.58% of team total), 43 special teams snaps (9.91% of team total)

Key Statistics:70 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit, .5 sacks, 3 passbreakups, 1 interception

After watching Poyer lose a step with the Bills in 2023 and then look absolutely finishedin a lost season with Miami Dolphins in 2024, Iwasn'texpecting anything from him during the 2025 season. His signing feltlike the Micah Hyde addition to the practice squad last season: He would be on the roster, but he was really a coach-in-waiting who was eligible to practice, as well.

But then, something happened. Injuries piled up at the safety position. Poyer was elevated from the practice squad. Poyer found a gear hehadn'tplayed with in years, becoming a linchpin in the back end of the defense. He stabilized the run defense, even, as he just understood his gap assignments and his fits far better than the players who held the starting role when Poyerwasn'tthere, and he elevated the play of the young safeties around him.

Poyer has already said that last season would be his final one, and if he holds true in that decision, then it was a privilege to watch him finish his career on a high note with the team that gave him the biggest opportunity of his NFL life.

Cole Bishop

Contract Status for 2026:Signed; third year of four-yearrookiecontract ($1,785,817 cap hit; $791,090 dead-cap number)

Age:23 (24 on 10/24/2026)

Playing Time:17 games (17 starts), 895 defensive snaps (91.14% of team total), 62 special teams snaps (14.29% of team total)

Key Statistics:85 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, 7 pass breakups

To start the 2025 season, Bishop looked lost. He was confused on his assignments and a step slow to do his job in what seemed like every big moment. Then, once veteran Jordan Poyer entered the starting lineup, Bishop flourished. He was unlocked to move around the defense as a weapon rather than reacting to what he saw after it developed. Heimproved his coverage to the point where he became an asset to the defense overall.

Really, we were able to see what the scouting department must have seen when the Bills took him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.Bishop is highly athletic, so the only question was whetherhe'dbe able to catch up to the speed of the NFL game in terms of processing what he was seeing.

For most of the 2025 NFL season, Bishop looked like someone on the verge of stardom at the safety position. A scheme change heading intonext season has the potential to undo some of that progress, but given the mental loadplaced on defensive backs in Sean McDermott's check-heavy defensive scheme, it's hard to imagine anything that new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard does will bemorecomplex than what Bishop has already done at the professional level. The sky's the limit for this young man, and it was a positive sign watching him take the next step towards fulfilling his potential.

Darnell SavageJr.

Contract Status for 2026:Signed one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Age:28 (29 on 7/30/2026)

Playing Timew/Bills:2 games (1 start), 48 defensive snaps (4.89% of team total), 21 special teams snaps (4.84% of team total)

Key Statistics:2 tackles, 1 pass breakup

Savage only ended up with the Bills thanks to the Ja'Marcus Ingram/Darius Slay Jr. disaster, and hedidn'tcontribute much during hisshort timeon the roster. Most of his regular-season defensive snaps came in Buffalo's meaningless victory over theNew York Jets to close out theseason, and he played just three snaps on defense in the playoffs. On one of them, he entered the game for an injured Cole Bishop (since Jordan Poyer was already out with an injured hamstring) for long enough to allow a longtouchdownpasstoLil'JordanHumphrey late in the first half.

Savage did manage three tackles in that postseason game, and he isa very goodathlete with use on special teams. Could he thrive in a more aggressive scheme like the one Leonhard is set to run next season?

Itwouldn'tsurprise me if the Bills tried toretainSavage on a veteran'sminimumcontract, but if he is back with the Bills, there will be no guarantees of a roster spot, let alone playing time, in2026.

Damar Hamlin

Contract Status for 2026:Unsigned; UFA

Age:27 (28 on 3/24/2026)

Playing Time:5 games, 49 special teams snaps (11.29% of team total), 12 defensive snaps (1.22% of team total)

Key Statistics:1 tackle

Hamlin tore a pectoral muscle early in the season, so hedidn'thave much of an opportunity to capitalize on the injuries at safety as it relates to playing time like he did back in his rookie season. This time, Hamlin was among the injured parties, and while his practice window opened at the end of the season,the Bills never had a chance to activate him. He hadessentially beenphased out of thedefenseanyway, playing primarily on special teams before his injury occurred.

Hamlin is a great guy anda great story, but the Bills can do better in terms of depth here.It'sworth a check-in to gauge interest in a return, butdon'tbe surprised if Hamlinends upelsewhere next season.

Taylor Rapp

Contract Status for 2026:Released; UFA ($666,667 dead-cap charge)

Age:28 (29 on 12/22/2026)

Playing Time:6 games (6 starts), 343 defensive snaps (34.93% of team total), 6 special teams snaps (1.38% of team total)

Key Statistics:26 tackles

Rappwasn'tjust bad early in the season; he was capital-T Terrible. He was slow in coverage, out of place on run fits, and an unmitigated disaster when it came to tackling, which is normally a strength of his.

Rapp managed to miss seven tackles in just six games, leading to a staggering 21.2% missed tackle rate on the year. Of course,it'spossible to explain away his poor play thanks to an attempt to play through a knee injury, an issue whichultimately endedhis season when he was placed on Injured Reserve (IR), butit'shard toforgethowpoorly he played regardless of the situation.

The Bills cleared$3.1 million cap space whileaccruingjust $666,667 in dead-cap money by releasing him.Buffalo needs depth at safety, but keeping Rapp in the fold after such a poor season wasn't going to happen.

Cam Lewis

Contract Status for 2026:Signed two-year contract with the Chicago Bears

Age:28 (29 on 4/13/2026)

Playing Time:17 games (4 starts), 219 special teams snaps (50.46% of team total), 373 defensive snaps (37.98% of team total)

Key Statistics:43 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 4 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles

Lewis is a tough evaluation for me, as he does a lot of things well on a football field. He is a demon on special teams, totalingseven solo special teams tackles on the season. That trailed just Sam Franklin Jr. and Dorian Williams, who each had eight, for the Bills' teamlead.

Lewis has alsoimproved ondefense, playing effectively in the slot and playing well as a dime-package safety throughout the year. That kind of versatility is exceptionally useful, especially if you have some young players whopossesssimilarversatilitywhomyou'drather anchor at one position to accelerate their learning curve.

I think Buffalo should have made a push to retain their homegrown talent, as he seemed to fit the versatile mold that incoming defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard covets. However, it's not going to happen, so my birthday buddy will have to enjoy our next trip around the sun from the Windy City.

Jordan Hancock

Contract Status for 2026:Signed; second year of four-yearrookiecontract ($1,085,054 cap hit; $240,162 dead-cap number)

Age:22 (23 on 8/12/2026)

Playing Time:13 games,184 special teams snaps (42.4% of team total), 148 defensive snaps (15.07% of team total)

Key Statistics:22 tackles

For much of the season, fans on our site and in my conversations in real life clamored for Hancock's usage to increase. We wanted to see therookieplay a bit more, whether it was as a slot corner or as a safety.

Well, he had his big break in the playoffs against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and itwasn'tpretty. WhileI think that reviews of his playoverall were a bit harsher than they needed to be, it was obvious that Hancock needed more confidence and more time to understand hisspacing ondefense.

Hancock was excellent this season on special teams, notching 11 total tackles in that phase of the game. He has immense potential as a moveable safety, as well, and a switch to a more aggressive scheme could be just what the doctor ordered to unlock Hancock's true potential. Buffalo needs to bring in some competition for him,but itdoesn'thave to come in the form of a big-ticket free agent.

Sam Franklin Jr.

Contract Status for 2026:Signed three-year extension worth $6.8 million ($1.74 million cap hit in 2026)

Age:30 (31 on 2/2/2027)

Playing Time:17 games, 329 special teams snaps (75.81% of team total), 6 defensive snaps (.61% of team total)

Key Statistics:13 tackles

Franklin was exceptional on special teams, which is where he played for all but six snaps throughout the year. He only played those six snaps on defense because rookie Maxwell Hairston sprained his ankle during the regular-season finale.

Perhaps Franklinshould have been playing before Hairston was injured, but then the Bills would have been down an important specialteamspiece in the playoffs instead of an important defensive piece.I'dargue that Hairston held more value, but the point is moot - unless someone owns a DeLorean and a flux capacitor.

Re-signing Franklin to a long-term deal ensures that Buffalo keeps one of its top special teams performers in the fold moving forward.

Wande Owens

Contract Status for 2026:Signed; second year of three-yearrookiecontract ($1,013,333 cap hit; $16,667 dead-cap number)

Age:24 (25 on 3/26/2026)

Playing Time:NA

Key Statistics:NA

Owens was an undrafted free agent with some pretty solid athletic traits, but he spent the whole season on the practice squad and was never a real consideration for elevation despiteall ofthe injuries at safety this season. Can he push for a roster spot next season witha whole yearin the NFL under his belt? Sure.Mightit be difficult to learn a new scheme in just his second year? Perhaps.

Owens is worth a watch this offseason as adark-horseroster candidate, but I expecthe'llfight for a spot on the practice squad again come summertime.
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Final Thoughts

Buffalo only has four safeties under contract, and just one - Bishop - has shown anything remotely resembling NFL starter traits at safety in his career. Franklin is a safety-in-name-only, as he is a special teams player through and through. Hancock has potential, but it would be foolish for the Bills to hand him the starting job with no competition. The fourth player is Wande Owens, who has exactly zero regular season NFL snaps on his resume.

That tells me the Bills will look to invest some resources here, whether in the form of free-agent dollars or draft capital, this spring. Losing Cam Lewis to the Chicago Bears hurts the team's depth in a big way. He's versatile with plenty of game experience both as a slot corner and as a safety, and he's dynamite on special teams. He's not a plus-starter on defense, but he would have raised the floor.

If the Bills want to sign a veteran free agent, they're going to find themselves competing with plenty of teams who have much more cap space and money to offer. Could the Bills target Kyle Dugger, who ended last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers? It's hard to know what type of safety the Bills are looking for given the scheme change, but they'll need to find someone who can play to Bishop's strengths like Jordan Poyer did last season.

I expect that the Bills will add a safety in the draft, as well. Oregon's Dillon Thieneman is a popular dream choice at No. 26 overall, and perhaps someone like Ohio State's Caleb Downs could fall down draft boards due to medical concerns. Texas' Michael Taaffe is a mid-round prospect who could step in and perform well, as are Arizona's Genesis Smith, TCU's Bud Clark, Penn State's Zakee Wheatley, and Miami's Jakobe Thomas.

Do the Bills want to give a rookie the keys at a starting safety spot right away? I suppose it depends on the player, but there are a few in this draft who would likely be able to step into the lineup on day one and have success.

Buffalo needs to add at least two players to build the safety depth. Their moves could also telegraph which position they feel like Jordan Hancock fits in Leonhard's defense, as his versatility likely gives them some wiggle-room to add either a slot corner or a safety to the mix. Either way, Buffalo needs a talent infusion here this offseason.