Cole Bishop 2024 NFL Draft Profile: Everything you need to know about Jets' potential target
With the Jets currently holding just one day two pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (the 72nd overall pick, in round three), let's take a look at one prospect who may be a target: Utah safety Cole Bishop...
By The Numbers
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 206 pounds
- 40-Yard Dash: 4.45
- Vertical: 39 inches
- Bench: DNP
- Broad Jump: 10-foot-4
- 2023 Stats (11 games started): 60 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble
Prospect Overview
Bleacher Report: Cole Bishop is a multiyear starter with very good size for a safety at 6'2" and 207 pounds. He's an instinctual player with a high football IQ and the versatility to play all over the field. He has the physicality to be a box player and the movement skills to cover in space.
NFL.com: Bishop was a highly productive tackler and valuable three-year starter for Utah. He stays busy around the line of scrimmage and can dart into gaps but can be a little slow playing off of big blockers. Bishop has man coverage potential on tight ends and is a bona fide striker when crashing down from his zone perch. He balances pursuit flow with a last-line-of-defense mentality as a run defender from high safety but will lose discipline in his deep safety duties at times. Bishop is an enforcer with NFL size and toughness for consideration in both down safety and split safety alignments.
Why Bishop makes sense for the Jets
The safety position isn’t one that has received much attention as a potential need for the Jets heading into the 2024 season. However, depending on how the free agency period goes, it could end up being something they look to address during the draft.
While Tony Adams established himself as a reliable starter who, according to head coach Robert Saleh is "going to be a fixture here for a long time," both Jordan Whitehead and Ashtyn Davis are free agents. Whitehead started every game over the past few seasons, while Davis expanded his role in the final year of his rookie contract.
It seems like that the Jets will re-sign at least one of these players and may also consider bringing back Chuck Clark, who was initially expected to start before suffering a season-ending injury in camp. However, if they don’t re-sign or replace at least two of these players, they may be looking for upgrades in the draft.
Bishop has the talent to develop into a future starter, but also profiles similarly to Davis in terms of his skill set, size, and athletic ability. Rather than re-sign Davis to a low end starter-level deal, could they instead opt to replicate his utility role with someone younger and cheaper like Bishop? His smarts and versatility would make him a valuable piece in New York’s system, and Saleh could ultimately use him similarly to how he deployed Jimmie Ward in San Francisco.
The only issue with this plan is that Bishop’s combine workout was so impressive, his stock is on the rise, and the Jets only have one day two pick. If New York has earmarked him as an ideal fit for their system, he could be off the board before they are scheduled to pick at 72 -- so they might have to move up to get him.
Depending on how the offseason shakes out, Bishop could be an ideal pick who could contribute in a situational role early on, while having the potential to take on a full-time role within a year or two.
NFL Comparison
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