The New York Jets can use additional depth to their secondary. Is Utah safety Cole Bishop a worthy target in the NFL Draft?
The New York Jets won’t be spending the majority of their draft capital on defense later this month, but general manager Joe Douglas prides himself on flexibility and drafting the best player available.
On the draft’s second day, there’s a good chance that player resides on defense.
Defenses are notoriously hard to trust year-over-year, and while the Jets can put stock into their sustainable secondary, injuries are as inevitable as they are hard to predict. New York is thin at safety, and a concussion or pulled hamstring could keep New York from operating at its highest level.
Subsequently, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jets spend a mid-to-late-round draft pick on defensive depth, especially in the secondary.
One such target is Utah safety Cole Bishop. On Thursday, Charles Davis joined Eric Allen to discuss the intriguing prospect.
“This kid out of Utah, Cole Bishop, I’m crazy about him,” Davis said. “When he ran 4.45 at the NFL Combine I think some more people got crazy about him because I think people liked him a lot but they weren’t sure athletically what he would be.”
Bishop tested like an elite athlete, posting strong 10- and 20-yard splits to go with a 40-yard dash and vertical jump that surpassed the 90th percentile for the position. He did so while measuring in at 6-foot-2, 206, giving him the requisite size to see the field.
He profiles more as a box safety than the Jets may prefer, but if nothing else he brings a lot to the table against the run. Bishop is a strong, consistent tackler who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty but has the processing to mitigate contact and accumulate tackles.
In coverage, not as proficient, but that processing makes a similar impact and he can play a wide array of coverage – even if he isn’t trusted to be a single-high safety. Teams may hope that his athletic gifts promote growth in this regard.
“I just think he cleans up everything in front of him,” Davis continued. “He plays the game with intelligence. He’s around the football where he’s supposed to be. He was a prime candidate to be around in Round 4 and be there for you [but] the 4.45 might have pushed him a little. We’ll just have to see when the run starts on those safeties.”
Davis, a former safety himself, could see Bishop rising, though he made it clear that the Jets shouldn’t be spending too significant of draft capital on a part-time player at a position without incredible value, joking that they won’t spend the No. 10 pick on him.
Ultimately, whether it be depth in the front seven or insurance in the secondary, New York is a candidate to go defense with a couple picks this year, despite the offense’s shortcomings.
