by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of The Draft Network.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Utah, Safety, Cole Bishop
Name- Cole Bishop
Pos- Safety
Team- Utah
HT/WT- 6’2” 207 lbs.
Born- N/A
Home – Peachtree City, GA
Cole Bishop attended Starr’s Mill High School in Fayetteville, Georgia where he earned County and Region MVP. He was invited to the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl. He was ranked a 3-star prospect by 247Sports and committed to Utah during his senior season.
Bishop was a Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention after his stellar freshman season in which he played in 10 games, starting 6 and had 54 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss, and 3 sacks.
This past season, Bishop took his game to another level, playing in 14 games, starting 13 and collecting a team high 83 tackles, including 6 TFL. He also picked off a pass and had 1.5 sacks and was once again named a Pac 12 All-Conference Honorable Mention. He entered 2023 as a Draft 412 preseason 2nd team All-American.
So far in 3 games during the 2023 season, Bishop has played well, tallying 17 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception.
Bishop is a playmaking safety who has the ability to cover tight ends and slot receivers one-on-one. Not only can he cover, he is a weapon as a blitzer and is a run stopper in the box. He moves fluidly and tracks the ball efficiently, turning mistakes into turnovers.
He has natural instincts and reads motions, plays and quarterback's eyes at a high level. He is an excellent run defender and can be physical or athletic when needed. He always seems to be around the ball.
However, Bishop is lean for the position and needs to add some weight and muscle to withstand the rigors of the NFL. There are times that Bishop tries for the knockout hit instead of securely wrapping up the ball carrier. He is more of a quick, straight line runner and slows down when changing directions. His speed is adequate, but not in the top of the safety class.
Draft 412 sees some similarities between Cole Bishop and undrafted safety Reed Blankenship, who has become a starter in the Eagles' secondary. Neither will blow you away with their pure athleticism but are very reliable in run defense. Bishop has a higher ceiling than Blankenship and Draft 412 considers Bishop a draftable prospect.
Strengths
Run defense
Instincts
Coverage-TE’s
Always around ball
Weaknesses
Lean body
Does not always wrap up
Athleticism
Changing direction
Final Analysis
Cole Bishop is a reliable safety who should have a long career in the NFL. He always seems to be around the ball and makes game changing type plays.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - 3rd round