Cleveland Browns Select David Bell, WR Purdue with the 99th Overall Pick

With the third of their three third round picks, the Cleveland Browns selected wide receiver David Bell from Purdue.

With the first of two third-round compensatory selections the Cleveland Browns receive for the hire of Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah as general manager of the Minnesota Viking, the Browns used the 99th pick in the third round to select wide receiver David Bell from Purdue.

Bell is young, still only 21 years old and he was super productive for the Boilermakers, leading the team in receiving for the past three seasons. In his final season, Bell caught  93 passes for 1,286 yards and six touchdowns.

The hitch with Bell and the reason he's still available is because he's not particularly athletic. He's physically powerful and can create space and has reasonably nifty fit to create some separation. 

His athletic testing was notably poor. Bell ran a 4.65 at the NFL Scouting Combine in the 40-yard dash, then retested at his Pro Day to run even slower at 4.71. His explosion was poor, jumping 9'10" with a 33" vertical. His agility wasn't any better with a 7.14 3-cone and a 4.57 shuttle.

Bell was able to play on the outside for Purdue but he likely projects to become a power slot in the NFL. He's going to function in a similar role as former Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry. He's a little bigger and stronger, so if he commits to blocking, he can help there. He can operate in tight spaces, making tough catches. That might enable him to move the chains.

Bell was reasonably productive against man coverage, which might bode well for his ability to function in the NFL. That has been an issue for the Browns the past two seasons.