Taylor Rapp Bio
Taylor Michael Rapp (born December 22, 1997) is an American professional football safety for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies, and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. A Super Bowl champion with the Rams, Rapp is recognized as one of the highest-drafted players of Asian descent in NFL history.
Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing approximately 208 pounds, Rapp has built his reputation on toughness, football intelligence, and dependable open-field tackling. After four seasons in Los Angeles, he joined the Buffalo Bills in 2023 and quickly established himself as a core member of their secondary.
Early Life and Background
Taylor Michael Rapp was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to a Chinese mother from Shanghai and a Caucasian father from Canada. Shortly after his birth, his parents relocated to the West Coast, where he was raised in Bellingham, Washington, alongside his older brother Austin, who is three years his senior. NFL.com once noted that Rapp “beat long odds,” having faced a city that failed to support prep football, coaches who were unprepared to develop his talents, college recruiters who overlooked him, and peers who racially taunted him for his Chinese ethnicity.
Rapp attended Sehome High School in Bellingham, where he played safety and running back while also competing in track and field. Due to his athletic success, he represented the United States at the U-16 and U-17 national team levels. He was ranked as the number one safety prospect in the state of Washington and the ninth-best safety on the West Coast by Scout.com, and he received an invitation to the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl, though he declined in order to enroll early at the University of Washington.
During his junior year of high school, Rapp committed to the Washington Huskies, choosing them over several prominent Football Bowl Subdivision programs, including Oregon, Stanford, Nebraska, and Notre Dame. His combination of academic drive and athletic talent would later help him earn acceptance into the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business during his college years.
Path to American Football
Rapp enrolled early at the University of Washington in January 2016, participating in winter workouts and spring practices before his first collegiate season. He saw immediate playing time, appearing in all 14 games and starting 10 of them as a true freshman. He emerged as a playmaker in the secondary late in the year, recording two interceptions against USC before delivering a standout performance in the 2016 Pac-12 Football Championship Game, where he intercepted back-to-back passes from Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau and returned one for a touchdown. He was named the game’s MVP.
Following his freshman campaign, Rapp earned Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors and was selected to multiple Freshman All-American teams, including the USA Today, ESPN True Freshman, Pro Football Focus, and Football Writers Association of America squads. Entering his sophomore year, Sports Illustrated ranked him among the 100 best players in college football at number 39, and he went on to earn first-team All-Pac-12 and Academic All-Pac-12 honors. By his junior season, he had added CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 recognition to his résumé.
On January 2, 2019, after being named a first-team All-American by both the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated, Rapp announced he would forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2019 NFL draft. He left Washington as a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection, a Second-team All-American, and one of the most respected defensive backs in college football.
Taylor Rapp Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
The Los Angeles Rams selected Taylor Michael Rapp in the second round (61st overall) of the 2019 NFL draft, making him the fifth safety taken that year and the highest-drafted player of Asian descent in NFL history, surpassing former Virginia Tech offensive tackle Ed Wang. The Rams signed him to a four-year, $4.67 million contract, and he entered training camp behind veterans Eric Weddle and John Johnson.
As a rookie, Rapp made his NFL debut on September 8, 2019, against the Carolina Panthers, recording eight combined tackles in a 30–27 victory. After John Johnson was placed on injured reserve in October, Rapp earned his first career start and quickly became a fixture in the secondary. He finished his rookie season with 100 combined tackles, eight pass deflections, three interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown across 15 games and 10 starts, including his first career pick-six off a pass from fellow rookie Kyler Murray.
Los Angeles Rams Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Rapp entered the 2021 season in an open competition for the starting free safety role and was ultimately named the starter alongside Jordan Fuller. On September 12, 2021, he started in the Rams’ season-opener for the first time in his career and recorded 10 combined tackles in a 34–14 win over the Chicago Bears. His breakout game came on October 17, 2021, when he intercepted two passes thrown by Daniel Jones in a 38–11 victory over the New York Giants, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He finished 2021 with 94 combined tackles, six pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, and a career-high four interceptions while starting all 17 games.
Although Rapp missed the Rams’ first three playoff games while in concussion protocol, he returned to start in Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022. He recorded seven combined tackles as the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20, earning his first Super Bowl ring. In 2022, Rapp transitioned to starting strong safety and played all 16 games, finishing with 92 combined tackles, six pass deflections, and two interceptions, including a clutch late-game pick of Derek Carr that sealed a 17–16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He earned an overall grade of 76.2 from Pro Football Focus that season.
Buffalo Bills Era (2023–Present)
On March 31, 2023, the Buffalo Bills signed Taylor Michael Rapp to a one-year, $1.77 million contract. He entered training camp as the clear third option at safety behind Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, but quickly earned playing time and delivered one of the biggest plays of the Bills’ season. On January 7, 2024, he intercepted a pass from Tua Tagovailoa with 1:13 remaining to seal a 21–14 victory at the Miami Dolphins, clinching the AFC East. He finished 2023 with 50 combined tackles, two pass deflections, one interception, and half a sack in 16 games and four starts.
On March 8, 2024, the Bills re-signed Rapp to a three-year, $10.62 million contract following the departures of long-time safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich named Rapp and Damar Hamlin the starting safeties to begin the 2024 season. Despite battling injuries throughout the year, Rapp started 13 games and recorded 82 combined tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. He then started in the Divisional Round of the playoffs and intercepted Lamar Jackson before exiting with a hip injury that sidelined him for the AFC Championship Game.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rapp is widely regarded as a versatile, instinct-driven safety whose strengths lie in run support, open-field tackling, and football intelligence. Evaluators have praised his ability to play all over the field, whether near the line of scrimmage as a box-area defender or in two-high safety looks. Although his coverage skills have been described as average, his tackling reliability, blitzing explosiveness, and turnover-creating instincts have consistently made him a high-floor contributor in defensive schemes.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the signature moments of Taylor Michael Rapp’s career are his 2016 Pac-12 Championship Game MVP performance, his rookie interception returned for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, his NFC Defensive Player of the Week honor in 2021, his Super Bowl LVI championship, and his game-sealing interception of Tua Tagovailoa in the 2023 regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins. In 2024, he added a postseason interception of Lamar Jackson during the Bills’ Divisional Round victory.
Taylor Rapp Career Wins
Across his professional career, Taylor Michael Rapp has been part of several winning seasons and postseason runs, highlighted by a Super Bowl LVI championship with the Los Angeles Rams and consecutive AFC East titles with the Buffalo Bills in 2023 and 2024.
Los Angeles Rams Highlights
During his four seasons with the Rams, Rapp appeared in 57 games and started 47, recording 330 combined tackles, 23 pass deflections, 10 interceptions, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one defensive touchdown. He helped Los Angeles capture Super Bowl LVI after the 2021 season and started 16 games the following year.
Other Wins & Performances
In his first two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Rapp contributed to back-to-back AFC East championships (2023 and 2024), starting in the 2024 Wildcard and Divisional Round victories before a hip injury kept him out of the AFC Championship Game.
Taylor Rapp Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rapp was raised in Bellingham, Washington, by his Chinese mother from Shanghai and his Caucasian father from Canada, alongside his older brother Austin. His family’s early move from Atlanta to the Pacific Northwest shaped his upbringing and introduced him to the football culture of the West Coast.
Personal Life
Taylor Michael Rapp began dating his high-school sweetheart, Dani Johnson, in 2015 while attending Sehome High School. Following the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI win, he proposed to Johnson in 2022, and the couple married in July of that year.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NFL season represented a difficult campaign for Taylor Michael Rapp and the Buffalo Bills. After re-signing a three-year contract in March 2024 and earning a starting safety role alongside Damar Hamlin, Rapp battled through injuries throughout the early portion of the schedule. On October 24, 2025, he was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury, cutting short his on-field contributions for the year.
Despite his absence, the Bills remained among the top teams in the AFC East, continuing to lean on a defense that has been reshaped around younger playmakers. Head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich will look to integrate Rapp back into the secondary once healthy, given his experience and leadership.
Looking ahead, Rapp’s familiarity with the Bills’ scheme and his proven ability to deliver in high-pressure moments, including his game-clinching interception of Tua Tagovailoa in 2023 and his postseason pick of Lamar Jackson in 2024, position him as a key figure in Buffalo’s defensive plans heading into 2026.