2022 NFL Draft Profiles: What Would David Bell Bring to the Jaguars' Offense?
The 2022 NFL Draft season is upon us.
Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 12 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era after the Urban Meyer tenure, making this draft as pivotal as one could imagine.
As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.
In our next prospect breakdown, we take a look at Purdue wide receiver David Bell and what his skill set could bring to the Jaguars' offense.
Overview
One of the nation's top receiver prospects in the 2019 recruiting class, David Bell was an Indianapolis high school football star and was subsequently rated by 247Sports as a four-star prospect, ranking as the No. 113 player in the nation and as the No. 19 highest-ranked wide receiver.
Bell ultimately chose to stay close to home and commit to Purdue, choosing the Boilermakers over offers from Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Cincinnati.
Bell burst onto the scene as a true freshman, catching 86 passes for 1,035 yards (12.0 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns in 12 games, earning first-team Associated Press Freshman All-American honors and being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Bell's second year was another solid outing, with the sophomore receiver recording 53 receptions for 625 yards (11.8 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns in six games, going over 100 yards receiving in all but two of those games. As a result, Bell was named first-team All-Big Ten.
Bell's final season with the Boilermakers saw him once again put up terrific production, catching 93 passes for 1,286 yards (13.8 yards per catch) and six touchdowns, leading to Bell repeating as a first-team All-Big Ten selection, giving him back-to-back first-team honors and giving him All-Team Big Ten honors in all three of his seasons.
What David Bell Does Well
While David Bell will surely get the "technician" label throughout the process since he isn't a field stretcher or a quick-twitch wideout, I think that is an unfair label to place on the 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver. Bell wins first and foremost by being more physically dominant and aggressive than his defensive counterparts, frequently showing off the physicality that is needed to survive at wide receiver at the next level.
Bell never lets a cornerback dictate the play with the ball in the air. Instead of adjusting to the cornerback's leverage and physicality, Bell presses the issue himself, frequently overpowering defensive backs when climbing the ladder and positioning himself for the ball. Bell does a terrific job of freeing up his frame, especially downfield. Corners who attempt to get their hands on him will be met by a lot of brute strength and power.
Bell also has some of the best body control and overall ball skills in the entire draft class. Few receivers are able to contort his body with impeccable timing and efficiency, but Bell frequently is able to adjust late with the ball in the air and still come down with it because he is able to put himself in all kinds of situations to come down with the ball. Whether it is a 50/50 contested jump ball or a back shoulder fade, Bell can be trusted to put himself in the best spot.
As a route runner, Bell shows quick feet off the line of scrimmage and enough burst to threaten cornerbacks vertically. He won't run a blazing 40-yard dash, but he has just enough to force defenses to respect him downfield. He has the quick feet to get open underneath on slants and other quick in-breaking routes, while flashing the potential to win downfield.
How David Bell Would Fit With the Jaguars
The Jaguars are missing a lot of things on the offensive side of the ball, especially at wide receiver. And while team speed is the number one thing the Jaguars are lacking on offense, there are plenty of reasons to believe Bell is a solid fit for a Jaguars team with questions at all three receiver spots.
Bell likely isn't going to solve the Jaguars' answers at the 'X' receiver spot, but he has the ability to win from as a 'Z' and in the slot. Bell would offer a lot of the same traits that Marvin Jones does, but at a cheaper price and a younger age. Bell has the same masterful ability to come down with back-shoulder passes on the perimeter, enough speed to win deep without being a burner and is able to play with a lot of physicality, while not offering a ton of yards after catch potential.
For a Jaguars team that needs a Z and a slot just as bad as they need an X, Bell makes a lot of sense fit wise. He is a physical player who has produced throughout his entire career and would give the Jaguars an exciting red-zone option moving forward. The Jaguars frequently failed to come down with low-percentage passes in 2021, and Bell would go a long way toward fixing that.
Ultimately, Bell isn't the deep threat with 4.30 speed that the Jaguars' offense is missing, but he is still a good fit. He would give them a physical and big-bodied threat both on the outside and even as a mismatch in the slot, something that can't be discredited.
Verdict
I am a big fan of Drake London's fit with the Jaguars because his frame, size, length, and ball skills fit Trevor Lawrence's strengths and past history of succeeding with similar receivers. For those exact same reasons, I think Bell makes a lot of sense for the Jaguars past the first round. He doesn't have the explosive traits to warrant first-round consideration, but I would give him a second-round evaluation and think he is worthy of taking with the No. 33 overall pick.
For all of our 2022 NFL Draft profiles, click below.
