WR David Bell, Purdue
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 210
HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL): Indianapolis, IN (Warren Central)
247 RATING: .9495
STARS: 4
YEAR: Sophomore
POSITION RANK: 20
CAREER
Receiving: 86 catches, 1,035 yards (12.0 ypc), 7 touchdowns
2019
Receiving: 86 catches, 1,035 yards (12.0 ypc), 7 touchdowns
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David Bell Breakdown
If not for the injury to Rondale Moore, we might not know who David Bell is coming into the 2020 season. Moore’s injury left a vacancy in the playmaker position for the Boilermakers offense, and Bell stepped in to fill that void nicely. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year gave Purdue a deep threat, and should compliment the recovering star well this year.
Bell’s not the fastest guy on the field, but he still knows how to take the top off of a defense. He accelerates quickly to eat up a defenders cushion, and then shakes them with his footwork. His head coach, Jeff Brohm, relates him to Jerry Rice in that everything he does is smooth. He knows how to make spectacular plays with relative ease.
Even when he can’t shake a defender, he’s great at the catch point to come down with the pass. He concentrates on the ball while also putting his body into position to shield the defender from making a play. Even if that means going across the middle, his mentality is that he’s going to come down with the ball, no matter how many people are around him or if he’s going to take a big hit after catching the ball. Sometimes, he resorts to catching the ball with his body or the ball slips right through his hands, but overall he’s great at securing the football even in tough spots.
Bell was nominated as a freshman All-American for his 2019 season, and it looks like he’s only getting started. Moore’s injury was a blessing for his game, and now they’ll play on the same field together again. Bell can take a page out of Moore’s book by breaking more tackles. He already can make big plays deep, but he tends to take hits more than delivering them on short to intermediate routes. The physicality of his game could get better, but he’s doing just fine even without that aspect. An improvement in that area would send a message to the opposing defense.
