Bills Safeties on the Roster Bubble vs. Roster Locks

The safety position is an interesting one to evaluate as the Buffalo Bills get set for the start of training camp coming up on July 29.

Cole Bishop returns as an incumbent starter following a transcendent 2025 season that saw him finish as one of the Bills’ top defenders. His transformation from Year 1 to Year 2 was outstanding, but there remains a hole next to him in Buffalo’s starting lineup.

The Bills hope that role will be filled by free-agent addition C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who the team signed to a one-year, deal worth up to $6 million on March 12. However, there’s no telling how the highly volatile veteran will fit in with Buffalo’s other defensive backs.

There are a host of others behind Gardner-Johnson who are looking to lock down depth roles, and due to the uncertainty surrounding the position, it will be critical for Buffalo to assemble a strong group of reserves in case things don’t work out as planned.

Three Bills safeties are roster locks

Along with Bishop and Gardner-Johnson, another Bills safety that is a shoo-in to make the roster is Jalon Kilgore, who the Bills selected with the No. 167 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 draft. It’s highly unlikely that Buffalo will move on from one of its selections from this year’s draft, which gives Kilgore an inside track to a roster spot over veterans Geno Stone and Damar Hamlin. Wande Owens is another safety on the Bills’ 91-man roster ahead of training camp, but he isn’t much of a factor in this positional battle.

Last year’s fifth-round pick, Jordan Hancock, who played 132 snaps at safety last year, is likely destined to shift into a backup role at nickel cornerback, that is, if he is to work his way back from offseason shoulder surgery in time to make an impact at training camp. That leaves Hamlin and Stone set to compete for what should be one jersey come Week 1.

Two veterans on the roster bubble

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin smiles after almost intercepting a. Pass during the second half of the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Bills signed Stone to a one-year, $1.4 free-agent deal on March 13, while they also welcomed Hamlin back on a one-year free-agent pact. Stone has been highly productive in the past, including a seven-interception season which included nine passes defensed in 2023. He has finished the past two years with six total INTs and 10 passes defensed.

Hamlin has been a good soldier for the Bills but has lacked the big-time play-making ability or athleticism the team has been seeking in the back end of its secondary. At this stage, it would appear that Stone is a stronger candidate to fill in behind Bishop and Gardner-Johnson as the next line of defense at safety. Still, you can’t count Hamlin out when evaluating this position.

He is beloved by his teammates and coaches and is familiar with his surroundings, which may count for something over the next month at camp and during the preseason.

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