Shoulder surgery complicates Jordan Hancock's future role with the Buffalo Bills. Where will the versatile defender find his fit in a revamped Bills secondary upon his return?
When the Buffalo Bills drafted Jordan Hancock in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he was viewed as a special teamer contributor who could end up becoming a regular rotational player in the following seasons.
After a surprising training camp and early start to the season, Hancock earned more playing time on the Bills' defense. While he primarily played safety under former head coach Sean McDermott, the team had been open to him either playing at safety or as a nickel.
With a new defensive coordinator and scheme, Hancock's role is once again up in the air.
In an interview with The Athletic, general manager and president of football operations Brandon Beane said that the team has to figure out just where Hancock fits moving forward.
Beane revealed that Hancock underwent shoulder surgery this offseason. He said that Hancook is currently rehabbing, but didn't give any insight into his return timeline. The Bills started offseason work last week, and the first return to the field comes on April 20 with a voluntary minicamp. After that, the team starts OTAs on May 18 on a weekly basis.
Depending on the severity of the surgery that needed to be done, it's possible the former Ohio State Buckeye isn't ready until training camp. Again, though, nothing is certain right now until the team provides an update. That could be expected to come in the next few weeks.
Circling back to where he'll play, Beane said that Hancock's spot might just be determined by where the team needs him most. Buffalo did quite a bit to makeover the defensive backfield this offseason with several new signings.
Beane said that the team likes his versatility and that he'll be "soaked in both" roles when he can return to the field.
As a rookie, Hancock played in 13 games last year. In those 13 games, he had 22 tackles and allowed a completion on 58% of targets towards him.
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