David Bell – Receiver – 21 – Junior – Purdue
Cut : 1m88
Weight : 93kg
Estimated draft position: Second round
Stats 2021: 93 receptions, 1,286 yards and 6 touchdowns
NFL Comparison: ZayJones
Strong points
– Yards after receipt
– Hands
– Body control
– Footwork
David Bell is different from the other trendy receivers of the moment. Big and powerful, he offers an increasingly rare profile in the NFL. He has very good control of his body when he is in the air, his background as a basketball player helps in this area. He knows how to position himself to best receive the swell, especially for receptions near the sideline. He is of course comfortable at the level of contested receptions and his hands are sure with only five drops in 2021.
After wrestling, thanks to his physical power, he is able to break many tackles. In his senior college season, he broke 25 tackles, making him the fourth-most NCAA wide receiver in broken tackles. He may already be an NFL threat at this level.
Finally, speed is not his strong point, but he manages to get rid of opposing cornerbacks thanks to very good footwork. This foot work also allows him to make well-run routes.
Weak points
– Speed
– Plot tree
– Blocks
His big downside is his speed and the Combine did not help this area. With 4.62 seconds at 40 yards dash, Bell did not score points during this exercise unlike other receivers located in the same waters. Opposing defenders can easily catch him because of his lack of speed and explosiveness.
Despite his good tracks, he unfortunately didn’t run the entire track tree at Purdue. He was very often confined to the same role with the Boilermakers.
Finally, despite his physical power for a receiver, he is not good at blocking for his running backs and he must improve in this area, especially in terms of blocking technique.
The stat
4.6%. This is David Bell’s drop percentage for the 2021 NCAA season. If you need a possession receiver, this is the one.
Possible destinations
Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns
David Bell isn’t a number one receiver, but eventually he can become a solid number two. On the other hand, despite a fairly weak cast around him at Purdue, he managed to produce year after year (two out of three seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards). This makes him a player with solid ground for the NFL.
