Taylor Rapp

Taylor Michael Rapp Bio

Taylor Michael Rapp (born December 22, 1997) is an American professional football safety who most recently played in 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, the 61st overall pick. A Super Bowl champion with the Rams, Rapp later signed with the Buffalo Bills and developed into a starting safety for the AFC East franchise before being released in March 2026.

Standing 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) and listed at 208 lb (94 kg), Rapp has built a reputation as a physical, instinctive defender with strong run support and open-field tackling. Through his NFL career, he has accumulated 488 total tackles, 12 interceptions, 31 pass deflections, 2 sacks, and 1 defensive touchdown.

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 decided to relocate to the West Coast, and he was raised in Bellingham, Washington, alongside his older brother Austin, who is three years his senior. NFL.com once described Rapp as a player who had beaten long odds, undeterred by a city that failed to support prep football, a high school community that openly mocked him, and racial taunting tied to his Chinese heritage.

Rapp attended Sehome High School in Bellingham, where he played safety and running back and also competed in track. His success on the field earned him invitations to play for the U-16 and U-17 USA national teams. He committed to the University of Washington in the spring of his junior year, choosing the Huskies over several Football Bowl Subdivision programs, including Oregon, Stanford, Nebraska, and Notre Dame. He was ranked as the top 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 U.S. Army All-American Bowl but chose to forgo the event to enroll early at Washington.

Path to the NFL

Rapp enrolled early at the University of Washington in January 2016 and quickly cracked the rotation as a true freshman. He appeared in all 14 games and started 10 of them, emerging as a playmaker in the secondary with two interceptions against USC late in the year. In the 2016 Pac-12 Football Championship Game, he intercepted back-to-back passes from Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau, returning one for a touchdown and earning Pac-12 Championship Game MVP honors. He was also named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and was selected to multiple Freshman All-American teams.

As a sophomore in 2017, Rapp earned first-team All-Pac-12 recognition, was named to the Academic All-Pac-12 first team, and was honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 player. He gained acceptance into the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business late that year. Entering his junior season, he was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated. On January 2, 2019, Rapp announced he would forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2019 NFL draft, where he was widely regarded as one of the top safety prospects in the class.

Taylor Michael 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 highest drafted player of Asian descent in NFL history at the time. He signed a four-year, $4.67 million contract that included a $1.41 million signing bonus and entered training camp as a backup safety behind veterans Eric Weddle and John Johnson. After John Johnson went down with an injury in October 2019, Rapp was promoted to the starting strong safety role and never relinquished it, finishing his rookie season with 100 combined tackles, 8 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and a touchdown in 15 games.

In 2020, Rapp competed for the starting free safety role following Weddle’s retirement but began the year as a backup strong safety under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. He posted 44 combined tackles and 1 interception in 9 games before a knee injury landed him on injured reserve in November, causing him to miss the final seven weeks of the regular season. The Rams’ Super Bowl run came a year later, but the foundation of that championship roster was already taking shape around Rapp’s physicality in the secondary.

Los Angeles Rams Breakthrough (2021–2022)

Entering 2021, head coach Sean McVay and new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris named Rapp the starting free safety. He started all 17 games and produced a career-best 94 combined tackles, 6 pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, and 4 interceptions, including a two-interception performance against the New York Giants that earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. The Rams finished 12-5, won the NFC West, and reached Super Bowl LVI, where Rapp was sidelined for the first three playoff games while in concussion protocol.

On February 13, 2022, Rapp started in Super Bowl LVI and recorded seven combined tackles as the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20, earning his first Super Bowl ring. In 2022, he shifted to starting strong safety alongside Nick Scott and delivered 92 combined tackles, 6 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions, highlighted by a game-sealing pick of Derek Carr in the final seconds of a 17-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He earned an overall grade of 76.2 from Pro Football Focus that season, the highest of his Rams tenure.

Buffalo Bills Era (2023–2025)

On March 31, 2023, the Buffalo Bills signed Rapp to a one-year, $1.77 million contract. He opened the year as the backup strong safety behind Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, then took over a starting role late in the season. In a Week 18 win at the Miami Dolphins, he intercepted Tua Tagovailoa with 1:13 remaining to seal a 21-14 victory and clinch the AFC East. He finished 2023 with 50 combined tackles, 2 pass deflections, 1 interception, and half a sack in 16 games.

On March 8, 2024, the Bills re-signed Rapp to a three-year, $10.62 million contract. He was named a starting safety alongside Damar Hamlin and went on to post 82 combined tackles, 6 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble in 13 games. After a 13-4 regular season and an AFC East title, Rapp helped Buffalo reach the AFC Championship Game before a hip injury forced him out of the lineup. In 2025, he started six appearances and recorded 26 combined tackles before a knee injury led to surgery in late October and ended his season. On March 6, 2026, Rapp was released by the Bills.

Driving Style and Strengths

Rapp is widely regarded as a physical, instinctive safety whose strengths lie in run support, open-field tackling, and blitzing. He is comfortable aligning in the box, near the line of scrimmage, or in two-high looks, and his football intelligence has been praised by coaches at every level, including former Washington defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, who called him the smartest football player he had ever coached.

Notable Events and Milestones

Rapp became the highest drafted player of Asian descent in NFL history when the Rams selected him 61st overall in 2019. He won Super Bowl LVI with the Rams, was named Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2016, and earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in 2021. His interception of Tua Tagovailoa in the 2023 regular-season finale helped Buffalo clinch the AFC East.

Taylor Michael Rapp Career Wins

Taylor Michael Rapp has experienced team success at both the collegiate and professional levels, highlighted by a Super Bowl championship, multiple All-Pac-12 selections, and steady contributions to division-winning defenses. He has also been a reliable individual playmaker, recording 12 career interceptions and reaching the postseason in four of his first six NFL seasons.

Los Angeles Rams Highlights

With the Los Angeles Rams, Rapp won Super Bowl LVI following the 2021 season and was a full-time starter in 2021 and 2022. He recorded his first career interception in 2019, returning it 31 yards for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, and his first career sack on Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021. Across four Rams seasons, he started 51 of 64 games and established himself as a core piece of the defense that won the NFC Championship.

Buffalo Bills Highlights

With the Buffalo Bills, Rapp helped the team win the AFC East in 2023 and 2024 and reach the AFC Championship Game in 2024. He sealed the 2023 division-clinching win at Miami with a late fourth-quarter interception, and he added an interception of Lamar Jackson in the 2024 Divisional Round before a hip injury ended his postseason. In three Bills seasons, he started 23 of 35 appearances.

Taylor Michael 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. He grew up alongside his older brother Austin, three years his senior, and the family settled on the West Coast shortly after his birth in Atlanta, Georgia. His mixed cultural background has been a frequent subject of media coverage, particularly in relation to the racial taunting he experienced growing up.

Personal Life

Rapp began dating his high-school sweetheart, Dani Johnson, in 2015 while attending Sehome High School. He proposed to Johnson in 2022, shortly after winning Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams, and the couple married in July 2022. Johnson has been a regular presence in Rapp’s life throughout his NFL career, including his stops in Los Angeles and Buffalo.

2025 Season Performance

Taylor Michael Rapp entered the 2025 season as a starting safety for the Buffalo Bills, continuing the role he had earned the previous year. He started all six of his appearances, recording 26 combined tackles while contributing in run support and as a blitzer. The Bills remained in contention in the AFC East, leaning on a defense that included Rapp as a veteran presence in the secondary.

On October 24, 2025, Rapp was placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury, and on October 31, head coach Sean McDermott announced that Rapp would probably miss the remainder of the season following surgery. The Bills went on to compete in the AFC playoff picture, and the defense was forced to lean on younger safeties for the stretch run. Rapp’s season ended with 26 combined tackles in six starts.

On March 6, 2026, the Buffalo Bills released Rapp, ending his tenure with the franchise. After three seasons in Buffalo, the 28-year-old safety became a free agent, with his next NFL opportunity still to be determined as of the 2026 offseason. Given his championship pedigree, run-support strengths, and proven durability when healthy, Rapp remained a candidate to attract interest from teams seeking a veteran safety.