The 2022 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the David Bell 2022 NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Wide Receiver
Size: 6-foot-2, 205 pounds
Class: Junior
2021 stats: 93 receptions, 1,286 receiving yards, 6 touchdown catches, 13.8 yards per reception
Bell was a very productive receiver at Purdue for the last three seasons. He is now headed to the NFL for his next challenge.
Out of high school, Bell was a four-star prospect out of Indiana who stayed in-state to play for the Boilermakers. He immediately made an impact as a freshman with 86 receptions for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns. Despite his personal success, Purdue struggled with a 4-8 record. In a COVID-shortened 2020, Bell had 53 catches for 625 yards and eight touchdown catches. The Boilermakers struggled again with a 2-4 record. Bell had his best season in 2021, as he finished with 93 receptions for 1,286 yards and six touchdowns. His play helped Purdue win nine games including the Music City Bowl.
Following the regular season, Bell declared for the NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a first or second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
He has solid size at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. While he could add some muscle to his frame, his body type is a good start for the NFL. His build allows him already to be a solid blocker and good in contested catch situations. He also has shown the strength to beat press, although he rarely faced press coverage.
Bell is a good route-runner. It starts with good releases at the line of scrimmage. He then gets in and out of his breaks quickly and can create separation. Against zone coverage, he is able to find the soft spot and get open consistently. He also has a fairly good route tree that was displayed during his time at Purdue.
His athleticism is also solid. He has good long speed, is relatively quick and has solid agility. On top of that, he has good body control. All of these traits help him to create separation, to make catches and run after the catch with the ball.
Bell doesn’t have any obvious weaknesses in his game, but he has limited reps against press coverage. He will need to prove that he can beat press coverage consistently at the next level. Adding a little strength will help with that.
While he can spring off the big play occasionally, Bell isn’t a traditional big-play threat. He is both fast and athletic, but neither his speed or his jumping ability are elite at the position. Bell can be very productive at the next level. It just might be more as a possession receiver than a big-play threat.
He showed good effort while blocking, but he could have better technique. Bell needs to show good leverage and get his hands on defenders early in a rep. If he can do that, he could develop into a solid blocking receiver on the outside.
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