Jordan Hancock says he can basically forward his mail to One Bills Drive. That’s how much time the rookie defensive back from Ohio State plans on spending at the Buffalo Bills facility, his new home of sorts.
“Off the field, I’m really a chill guy,” Hancock said. “I really just like football. Just ... being in Buffalo, the Bills – like, there’s so much great history here. So you want to live in a facility; I feel like (I’m) going to be somebody that’s going to stay in the facility.”
On the field is where things get a little more interesting for Hancock. The Bills are already moving the fifth-round pick all around the field, starting at rookie minicamp.
Buffalo Bills Rookie Minicamp
Bills defensive back Jordan Hancock breaks left during rookie minicamp this month in Orchard Park. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
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Bills general manager Brandon Beane planned on that from the jump.
“He’s played corner, he’s played a little safety, he’s done a little nickel,” Beane said last month after drafting Hancock. “Like, (I) love the versatility that he’s got. And so, for us, I see him slotting in right now as kind of a safety and a nickel. We’ll give him reps at both in the spring and then determine how much when we get to camp, you know? Is it 50-50? Is it 75-25?”
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Once rookie minicamp rolled around earlier this month, Hancock was not only comfortable with playing both safety and nickel, but also comfortable in waiting to learn what his exact role will be in Buffalo.
“We’re gonna see,” Hancock said. “But I always want to create value to the team.”
In college, on an Ohio State roster loaded with future pros, Hancock’s workload grew slowly. He was a part-time player and special-teamer his first two seasons in 2021 and ’22. From there, he worked his way into a starting role. In his final two years there, he made 89 tackles, three interceptions and 2½ sacks, and his career culminated with a national championship.
Hancock said he got more reps at slot corner at OSU but that safety “is natural” to him, partly because the depth of the field allows him to see the play unfold.
W Michigan Ohio St Football (copy)
Jordan Hancock, playing for Ohio State, lines up Sept. 7 against Western Michigan in Columbus, Ohio. Hancock was selected by the Bills in the fifth round of last month’s NFL draft. Associated Press
Moving around the defense also gives him a better feel for what the entire unit is doing, and he relishes that opportunity. It helps him better understand his role, but it also allows him to help his teammates in other ways.
“Sometimes you’ve got to get people in the right positions,” Hancock said. “And I feel like I can do that as well. And I just want to learn every position, so I know the full scheme and where my help is coming from.”
The Bills put a lot on their safeties’ plates, and Hancock could see that workload teased a bit, so as not to overwhelm him before training camp in July.
“You’re just learning – learning every day,” Hancock said. “But the coaches, they don’t make it a big workload just yet. So just, it’s just basic install right now. So probably down the road is going to get a lot harder. ... I’m excited, for sure.”
Hancock was also getting plenty of time on task with Bills’ first-round pick, Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston. Their relationship dates to earlier this year.
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Hairston said he and Hancock got close at the NFL scouting combine. There, in Indianapolis, they started visualizing what it could be like to play together. Now they’re among three rookie DBs with the Bills, including sixth-round pick Dorian Strong of Virginia Tech.
“And overcommunicating is something that we said we was going to do when we got out there,” Hairston said. “And just taking it play by play.”
Added Hancock: “Yeah, it’s cool. You know, we were making some calls together. So we just want to be on one accord, and I’m happy Max and Dorian and everyone else is part of the secondary, and we just want to keep on building and create value to the team.”
Hancock grew up in Gwinnett, Ga., just north of Atlanta, with a love of basketball first. He took the gym work ethic from his first sport to the next, and he said he believes his basketball background benefits him, with rebounding akin to tracking the ball.
Now, he says, the Bills will reap the benefits of that.
“I feel like they’re going to get a real disciplined player,” Hancock said. “I’m gonna show up every day try to maximize every opportunity that I have.”
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