30 most important Bills players of 2026: No. 15 Cole Bishop
· Yahoo Sports
As the Buffalo Bills prepare for the 2026 NFL season, Bills Wire will take a look at the most important contributors on their roster. The team has some cornerstone players who will be returning for another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo, and they'll have help from some new additions as well.
Leading up to the season, we will be counting down the top-30 most important players on the roster. We'll recap their 2025 season, look ahead to what they'll offer in 2026, and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding them this coming year.
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Next on the countdown is Cole Bishop.
Background
Position: Safety
Age at start of season: 23
Experience: Third year
2026 cap hit: $1,785,817
2025 recap
Cole Bishop took his play to another level in 2025, starting all 17 games in his second season after earning just four starts as a rookie in 2024. He posted three interceptions, two sacks, and 85 combined tackles in the sophomore campaign, earning an impressive 70.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (ranked 22nd out of 98 NFL safeties).
2026 outlook
Bishop is again expected to start at safety for the Bills this year, only this time he'll be playing in Jim Leonhard's defense as opposed to Sean McDermott and Bobby Babich's. He'll also have a new running mate in safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Both players are capable of being moved around and doing numerous things for the defense. They'll be trusted to play freely and be leaders for the secondary and the defense.
Biggest question: Can he take his game to another level?
While Bishop came into his own in 2025 as a playmaker on the defense, he was also chosen as a breakout candidate for 2026 by football outlets such as Pro Football Focus. A second-round pick in 2024, Bishop's versatile abilities have guided him to success thus far in the NFL, but a year-three leap isn't out of the question. While he got started in the NFL playing under a former college safety in McDermott, he's now playing under a former Buffalo Bills safety in Leonhard. Both coaches have developed secondary players well in their careers, specifically safeties. Bishop has gotten good direction in the coaching department so far in his career. Combine that with his athletic profile and the ability to play free and aggressively, and that is why PFF has pegged him as a "breakout player" for this year.
30 most important Bills of 2026
Check back as we continue the countdown on our list of the 30 most important Bills ahead of the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 30 most important Bills players of 2026: No. 15 Cole Bishop