Never satisfied with enough depth, the Buffalo Bills drafted Ohio State CB Jordan Hancock in the fifth round. The 2024 Honorable Mention Big Ten player appeared in 41 games and started 22 over his career, culminating with a national championship in 2024.
Hancock has shown the versatility to play multiple positions within the secondary and is a strong tackler, both traits that are valued in the Bills’ defense. He has also seen time on special teams early in his Buckeye career, which will allow him to get on the field early but not be pressed into heavy use on the defense.
However, Hancock did deal with injury during his career, which stunted his development.
Read about Jordan Hancock’s publicly reported injury history and analysis.
Injury History
2021 Ohio State
No publicly reported injuries.
2022 Ohio State
Hamstring tear, preseason, missed 6 games to start season, missed bowl game.
Hancock tweaked his hamstring on the first day of preseason camp and two days later tore his hamstring while covering WR Jaxon Smith-Ngigba, putting him out indefinitely. At first, the injury was not thought to be that serious, but he ended up missing the first six games of the season and the bowl game against Georgia. When he was able to play, he believed he was no more than 75-80 percent healthy that season. He finally got to feel healthy the following summer, indicating it still limited him during spring practices.
2023 Ohio State
No publicly reported injuries.
2024 Ohio State
No publicly reported injuries.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
The only injury that Hancock appeared to suffer during his time at Ohio State was the hamstring tear that kept him out for an extended time. There were no reports that he required surgery or attempted to return too early, but the time missed suggests that this was a Grade 2 hamstring strain. To better understand the injury, read below.
Hamstring Anatomy
The hamstrings comprise three muscles in the back of the thigh: the biceps femoris on the outside and the semimembranosus and semitendinosus on the inside. Together, these three muscles attach to parts of the upper femur and the bottom of the hip at the ischial tuberosity.
At the other end, they connect to the top of the tibia and fibula. Due to the muscles crossing over two joints, they have different functions based on hip or knee position. Together, these muscles allow the leg to extend and drive the body forward, along with bending the knee. They also assist with medially rotating the leg when the knee is bent.
Risk Factors & Causes
Risk factors for injuring the hamstring include older age, previous hamstring injury, tight hip flexors, tight hamstrings, poor core stability, and previous knee injury, among others, contributing to a hamstring strain. During times of injury, the muscle can be overworked, overstretched, or fatigued, leading to part of the muscle tearing, also known as a strain.
These types of injuries occur when an athlete suddenly tries to decelerate and change direction, hurdling a player or trying to push their body faster and faster.
The eccentric contraction of the muscle, where the muscle lengthens under load, is a common reason for the strain to occur in the above-mentioned mechanisms. The most commonly injured hamstring muscle is the biceps femoris when referring to strains in the area.
Severity Grades
Grade 1 tears are the least severe, in which a small portion of the muscle tears during excessive activity. This can heal up rather quickly with several days of rest, stretching, and light exercise can remedy the muscle. These can last one to two weeks before returning to unrestricted play.
Grade 2 hamstring tear is where a moderate portion of the muscle tears with a greater force, leading the player to limp and be unable to properly use the affected leg as intended. Typically, there is greater bruising and swelling with initial difficulty placing weight, keeping the athlete off it for some time. Bruising, poor functional control, and tenderness may occur during this time, which could cause the athlete to miss anywhere from four to eight weeks before they are back to playing shape. This is likely what Hancock suffered.
Grade 3 hamstring tear is where the muscle nearly or completely tears. It can also pull a chunk of the bone away from the bony attachment known as an avulsion. This is due to the muscle attaching to the anchor point, meaning the harder the muscle contracts, the harder it pulls on the anchor point, leading to eventual overload. At this level of injury, the muscle is quite weak and its function is no longer normal.
With this injury, the athlete is in danger of missing significant time or it can be potentially season-ending. Recovery time with surgery can be anywhere from three to six months, with some resources stating closer to eight months. Thankfully, most hamstring tears do not require corrective surgery.
Diving into the injury, cornerbacks make up the most hamstring injuries of all positions, comprising 23.1 percent. Incidence of overall recurrence after initial hamstring injury can vary greatly, but several studies range, placing the risk at around 30-38 percent. Risk factors for same-season re-injury are fewer weeks with return-to-play and suffering an in-game injury, which stands at just 16.5 percent overall occurrence.
With players trying to achieve a quick return to play, the week-to-week injury recurrence rate is highest when the player returns within two weeks (13.4%) of the original injury, and the risk for further injury lasts for up to 12 months.
Finally, addressing the time of the year when he suffered the injury, the risk for a hamstring injury is greatest in the early portion of a sports season. When looking at the NFL, over half of all hamstring strains occur during the seven-week training camp. Looking at injuries as a whole, they make up 12% of all injuries seen during training camp, second only to knee sprains.
Final Thoughts
Fortunately, Hancock has been healthy since 2022 and has not missed any games. He is well outside of the re-injury window, though his risk is not eliminated only due to his positional demands. I have historically seen that when there is a more significant hamstring strain, the rehab to allow proper healing is followed, which reduces the chances of future incidents. When players play through the milder strains, they tend to linger.
I don’t have any concerns regarding Jordan Hancock with his injury history, and he has shown the versatility to play anywhere in the secondary. The Bills have a plan to play him at both safety and nickel corner, potentially providing depth for Cam Lewis, Ja’Marcus Ingram, or a potential succession plan for Taron Johnson.
Hancock should have a lot of opportunities to leave his mark over the next few seasons and grow into a bigger role as the roster continues to turn over.
I would like to wish Jordan Hancock a warm welcome to the city of Buffalo and to remain healthy this season.
Top Photo Credit: Bucs Report
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