Hancock's Roster Battle: Bills' 2025 Draft Pick Fights for Roster Spot

0:00It's April 20th. Welcome in. This is NFL News Today, where the league meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Bean dropped some key injury news during voluntary mini-camp this week. Their 2025 5th round pick, Safety Jordan Hancock, had shoulder surgery in the offseason and isn't cleared yet. Bean says he's doing well, but expects him back around mandatory mini-camp or sometime before training camp. The bills beefed up their secondary with free agent signings like CJ Gardner Johnson, who's lining up as a starter next to Cole Bishop. They also grab better in safety, Geno's Stone as a backup, and re-signed Demar Hamlin. All three are on one-year deals, bringing way more experience than Hancock's rookie season. Hancock played in just 13 games last year, logging 22 tackles and about 19% of defensive snaps. He held it down on special teams with 58% of those plays, but now with these vets in the mix, he's battling hard just to make

1:01the roster. His best shot might be versatility, he was drafted to play safety or nickel corner. But Buffalo signed D-Alpha to cover nickel-duties too, so paths are narrow there. Pro football focus graded him decent in coverage and run defense, but experience gaps hurt. Heading into preseason, Hancock's got to prove his worth on special teams, or wrist joining seventh-rounder, Caden Prater, as the second-twenty. 25 draft pick cut before week one. It's a tight race, but the kids got potential if he heals upright.