Given their track record, it feels unlikely that the Green Bay Packers will trade up to select a wide receiver this year. By the time they make their first selection at No. 22 overall, some of the top options will be wiped from the board.
Many fans want Green Bay to double-down and take two wideouts in the first round. That might be a bit much. But if they opt to take a wideout in the first round and another one later, the latter pick could still have an instant impact — if they select David Bell.
Bell was a stat-sheet stuffer during his three years at Purdue. While Rondale Moore was a flashier option when both were in West Lafayette, Bell was the go-to guy when the Boilermakers needed a clutch play converted.
While Bell’s speed won’t blow anyone away, Green Bay hasn’t always prioritized speed as the be-all-end-all when shopping for wideouts.
Davante Adams didn’t have one of the top 40-yard dash times when the Packers selected him in the 2014 NFL Draft. The same can be said when they took Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and Randall Cobb. It’s great to have speed, and the Packers will have to fill that void in some form or fashion following Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s departure. However, turning away from Bell because of a lack of speed would be foolish.
Bell hauled in 93 receptions for 1,286 yards last season. In 2019, he racked up 86 catches for 1,035 yards as a first-year player. Throughout his three years in the Big Ten, Bell piled up 22 total touchdowns. The stats aren’t deceiving.
There’s a case to be made that Bell is as polished a route runner as exists is in this draft class. His hands are exceptional, and his route tree is large. Per The Draft Network, there isn’t much that Bell doesn’t do very well. It starts with his route running.
Bell is a route technician who affords no shortage of variety in his routes. There are ample head fakes, double moves, stutter steps, and adjusted stems in his game. Bell has been a killer against both man and zone coverage and wins to all levels of the field at the college game. I’d expect his release to afford him wins against press in the NFL as well and his savvy with hands, head, and feet at the top of routes to allow him success in the quick game.
Don’t be fooled by Bell’s draft projections, which have him going somewhere in Round 2 or 3. He’s more polished than most in this class. Although his ceiling may be lower, the floor is incredibly high. Therefore, he could be a wideout who could step right in and have an instant impact.
Green Bay’s approach isn’t tricky to figure out. They are trying to win right now with Aaron Rodgers back on the roster. Thus, drafting a project at wideout like they did last year with Amari Rodgers isn’t the way to go this time around, and they know it. Amari Rodgers may eventually develop into a great slot wideout, but the clock is ticking for the Packers, and they need rookies who can suit up and take valuable snaps from Day 1. Bell is all of that.
Along with his route running, he has excellent hands, per The Draft Network.
He’s very “plucky” in this area and shows very good strength in his hands to squeeze the football. There were only a few throws that ate him up and most of them were perimeter routes that had the ball hot and behind him. He’s made some eye-popping grabs, and I really appreciate his skill to win at the catch point and not allow defenders to break his grasp.
Go ahead and watch his acrobatic catches downfield against Indiana (2019) and Notre Dame (2021) if you want a sampling of what he can do. He’s tremendous here and his late adjustments do well to deter defensive backs in man coverage for IDing the ball quickly, too. His catch radius is already high with strong hands but his ability to contort himself provides his quarterback with a lot of wiggle room.
David Bell fits the mold of many receivers the Packers have drafted in years past. What bodes well for him is that he projects to be a prospect that can step in and play in Week 1. For a team with a narrowing Super Bowl window, that’s incredibly enticing.
Green Bay can go many different ways in this draft. They’ll dictate some of the flow having four selections in the top 60 of the draft. If they opt to take a receiver in Round 1 and another receiver later on, the later one should be David Bell if he’s still on the board.
