With George Karlaftis off the board, which Purdue player will be drafted next?
Wideout David Bell is the likely next Boilermaker to hear his name called when the 2022 NFL draft continues on Friday with rounds two-three. The draft will conclude on Saturday with rounds four-seven.
Bell was a transcendent talent at Purdue, leaving as a consensus All-American in 2021 as arguably the best wideout in school annals. But--right or wrong--questions about Bell’s speed tend to overshadow his draft prospects.
“Right now, sometimes when you get to the draft, it's all about the measurables, it's all about the speed,” Jeff Brohm said on the Dan Dakich radio show on Thursday. “So, for whatever reason, he didn't run quite the 40 time I know that he would have liked or the scouts would have liked. To me, that's the only reason that he's probably slid down in these projections.
“I'm hopeful that he can get in the second or third round. But, in my opinion, if you just base it on talent and production, he's a first-round receiver. So, that's kind of what I'm hearing, but I'm hopeful that really he just gets on the right team with a good offense where he fits in and he can be a big part of the offense.”
The first-round of the NFL draft on Thursday night saw six receivers selected: USC's Drake London (8th/Falcons); Ohio State's Garrett Wilson (10th/Jets); Ohio State's Chris Olave (11th/Saints); Alabama's Jameson Williams (12th/Lions); Penn State's Jahan Dotson (16th/Commanders); Arkansas' Treylon Burks (18th/Titans).
Will Bell be in the next batch of wideouts taken?
Bell clocked a 4.65 at the Combine in his home town of Indianapolis. At pro day in West Lafayette last month, his time was 4.68. He was aiming to run a 4.51 or a 4.52.
“I still didn’t run the 40 that I wanted to but showed that I’m one of the – if not the best - route-runner in this receiver class and that’s something that I wanted to display,” Bell said at pro day. “I know once I get on the football field, I'll be able to really show my abilities.”
What did Bell think he did best for the scouts from 30 NFL teams that were in Mollenkopf Athletic Center for pro day?
“I think that I can showed that I can play inside and outside,” said Bell, who is still enrolled in school. “I caught all passes and was able to show that I can run any route that they want me to."
Said an anonymous NFL scout: "He's a good football player. I think he's gonna make somebody's team. The problem is a guy like that has to play on special teams. And when you see that (40 time), usually special teams (coaches) start with the 40 time. They want a guy that can run down and cover or block.
"How's he gonna make your team if he comes in as your fifth receiver? It's gonna be a team that has a niche for him. I'd see him probably falling (in the draft) because of (speed). I would not be surprised if it's more like five or six (round)."
Bell showed a lot at Purdue in a three-year career, arriving in 2019 as one of the program’s most ballyhooed wideout recruits ever, a can’t-miss four-star talent. And, Bell delivered the goods.
Bell caught a Big Ten-best 86 passes for 1,035 yards and seven TDs in his debut in 2019, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades and honorable mention All-Big Ten. Bell had to step up after Rondale Moore--a second-round pick last year by the Cardinals--battled injury most of the season.
The product of Warren Central High keep it going in a COVID truncated six-game 2020 season, pacing the Boilermakers with 53 receptions for 625 yards and eight scores to earn first-team All-Big Ten mention while Moore again dealt with injury.
It was more of the same last season, when the 6-2, 205-pound Bell finished second in the Big Ten with 93 grabs for 1,286 yards and six TDs despite missing a game due to a concussion and opting out of the Music City Bowl. He earned consensus All-American honors.
The production spoke volumes. The hands, the route-running, the toughness ... remember? Still, that 40-time. It remains a talking point that often dominates discussions about Bell’s draft prospects.
“Well, David's strength is he's just an outstanding football player,” said Brohm. “He's a competitor, he catches the football, he makes contested catches, he rises up against big opponents. And I'd love to have him on my team if I was in the NFL coaching now.”
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