Cole Bishop, SAF, Utah (Junior)

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Strengths :

    • Good athlete
    • Zone coverage Skills
    • Versatility in alignments
    • Playmaker
    • IQ
    • Leader

     

    Weaknesses :

    • Lacks power
    • Transitions need refinement

    TTProfil

     

    Cole Bishop is a good athlete, possessing good speed, acceleration, and fluidity. While not inherently explosive, he has excellent footwork that aids him in being smooth and possessing an interesting closing speed. Bishop's main physical drawback is his lack of muscular power for his ideal position, which could be improved with a few extra pounds, in my opinion, to help him evolve in certain aspects of the game.

    Bishop excels in all zone coverages, capable of playing on both levels, whether in lower or deep coverage. In single-high, he is also very interesting in my opinion, but he still needs some technical refinement in his transitions to be used solely in that position. Technically in coverage, Cole Bishop is generally very sound, with fluid hips, good backpedal technique, and quick change of direction.

     

    In man coverage, he can play in press or off-man, again showing technically sound skills and being able to consistently cover tight ends and slot receivers. A bit more muscle and power could help him be less surprised by certain big tight ends, a matchup that will often occur in the NFL. 

     

    Cole Bishop has excellent ball skills, although statistically his 11 PDs and 3 INTs in his career may not fully reflect his qualities. He has a high football IQ, with a great ability to read quarterbacks and excellent ball tracking. His coordination between eyes, feet, and hands in this area makes him dangerous, explaining why opposing quarterbacks rarely threw in his zone, resulting in slightly lower but still decent stats.

     

    In run support, Bishop contributes well, often lining up in the box, but he could be better if he improves certain aspects. Firstly, he tends to tackle only with the shoulder and seeks the big hit, although he is capable of securing tackles in the passing game, so he can do it against the run as well I return to his slight lack of muscle mass, which could benefit him; indeed, against the run, he sometimes struggles to physically shed blocks but also in pass rush situations where technically his skill set is not developed enough to be a constant threat. 


    In conclusion, Cole Bishop is a modern safety, athletic with a wide range of uses near the LOS, in the box, or in deep coverage. He is a natural leader with a high football IQ, capable of being decisive in crucial moments. He has all the tools to perform in the NFL but will need to spend some time in the weight room to build a slightly stronger physique and refine his tackling technique and skill set to perform well against the run. His contribution on special teams should not be underestimated.
    I evaluate his value as a mid-2nd round talent in the draft.

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