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Cleveland Browns impressed by early work of rookie WR David Bell
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Former Purdue WR David Bell had his draft stock drop a little after posting a 4.65 40-yard dash time. However, according to Anthony Poisal of clevelandbrowns.com, he’s starting to show why he should have gone higher in the draft.
Bell was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Browns WR coach/ passing game coordinator Chad O’Shea understands how deadly Bell can be, discussing one of his highlights from the Notre Dame game in 2021 where jumped over a defender to make a really tough catch.
“We saw him as one of the best players in the draft as regards to his ball skills,” O’Shea said. “He did it in a lot of contested areas, or where he was closely matched at the top of the route. That was a difficult catch. He has a defender that’s closely trailing him or matching in man coverage, and he has the ability to make those plays and show his great ball skills.”
If he can show that he can do these things on a consistent basis, he shouldn’t have any problems finding a spot in the rotation.
“Speed is one thing, but there’s so many things that go into being a great receiver,” O’Shea said. “It’s body control. It’s an ability to understand where you are on the field and have sideline awareness. All those things are critical in the development of a young wide receiver, and he certainly has a lot of those things that we’re able to work with.”
Grant Bricker covers the B1G for Saturday Tradition. His previous stops include the Williamson Homepage and Nashville Post.