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David Bell NFL Draft Profile
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David Bell Scouting ReportBell might not be the fastest in a foot race, but he’s got impressive long speed, which can help take the top off a defense. In addition, the Purdue WR has demonstrated excellent burst, with his speed release helping him win at the line of scrimmage. Bell also exhibits a good change-of-direction ability, which shows in his route running and making defenders miss in the open field. Bell has exceptional body control. There are multiple examples on film where he contorts his body to make a catch that appears impossible. The Purdue WR displays this ability both in the open field and in the end zone. Bell is a dangerous threat at all three levels of the field. Bell is as physical as they come. He puts this to good use in contested-catch situations, where he routinely comes down with the ball. There were several examples of him snatching the ball away from the defensive back. Additionally, his physicality helps him gain additional yardage, as he is rarely taken down on the first contact.
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Areas for ImprovementBell wasn’t routinely tasked with overcoming press coverage, so it isn’t easy to ascertain how well he will fare against more athletic defensive backs in the NFL when he can’t rely solely on speed to win off the line. Furthermore, he hasn’t been asked to run a particularly complex route tree at Purdue. So again, that makes evaluating that area of his game problematic.
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David Bell Career at SchoolThe phrase “immediate impact” is routinely overused when describing the transition from high school to college football. However, for the new Purdue WR, it was perfectly accurate. On his first reception for the Boilermakers, Bell secured a 49-yard touchdown. Just one week later, he took 4 receptions for 82 yards against Vanderbilt. Three weeks later against Minnesota, he secured his first of six games of 100+ yards. Bell’s next four games that broke the century mark earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, including on back-to-back weekends against Maryland and Iowa. The prolific Purdue pass catcher finished his freshman campaign with 136 yards and a touchdown against Indiana. Ending the year with 1,035 yards and 7 touchdowns, Bell was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year while earning first-team Freshman All-American honors from the Associated Press. Although the shortened 2020 college football season limited him to six games, Bell still produced four 100-plus-yard games. He opened the season in style with an imposing 121 yards and 3 touchdowns from a season-high 13 receptions against Iowa. Although he wouldn’t get near his career-high 197 yards in 2020, Bell did finish the season with a season-high 132 yards against Nebraska. With a conference-high 8 touchdowns last season, Bell earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition. For all of Bell’s success over the last two years, the Purdue spotlight has very much shone on Rondale Moore. Despite towering over his diminutive teammate, Bell has been somewhat in the shadow. In the upcoming college football season, however, he’s primed to emerge and take center stage. Equaling his former Purdue WR teammate as a second-round pick is probable, while something even more remarkable is possible. Bell received his first offer (Indiana) even before the start of his sophomore season. Plenty more followed (according to 247 Sports), receiving offers from nearly 20 teams. Although he took visits to Penn State and Indiana and subsequently teased Ohio State as a destination on announcing his decision, multiple factors led him to the Boilermakers. |
David Bell NFL Draft Player ProfileBefore DeAngelo Yancey in 2017, the Purdue Boilermakers hadn’t seen a wide receiver drafted to the NFL since 2001. For a program that boasted two first-round pass catchers in the 1970s, it presented a significant downturn in professional production. However, their production line is in motion once again. In the last year, Rondale Moore was a second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals. Ahead of the upcoming college football season, Purdue WR David Bell is ready to state his case as one of the best pass catchers in the 2022 NFL Draft class.
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