Browns select Purdue receiver despite questions about speed
The Browns used selection No. 99 overall in the NFL Draft, their third in the third round, to take Purdue wide receiver David Bell.
Bell could fill a need for the Browns, who might have to replace both Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Beckham was released last season and signed with the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. Landry was released in the offseason but has not ruled out a return to the Browns.
“It was definitely an amazing feeling,” Bell said upon hearing his name called. “I definitely shed tears; it’s been something I’ve been dreaming about my entire life — just to get that phone call and see my name get called on draft night. It’s definitely a blessing just to be one state over so my friends and family can come watch me play.”
Prior to hearing his name, Bell said the evening proved stressful.
“I was getting a little bit impatient, but God has his plan and he put me in the right situation,” he said.
He will join Amari Cooper as a teammate, a receiver the Browns traded for in the offseason. Bell said he’s studied Cooper since he played at Alabama and followed his pro career with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.
“To get the opportunity to see how he works in practice, to see what he does to be one of the top route runners in the game today is definitely an honor,” Bell said during a video call.
Bell will also join a former rival in the coming weeks. He played against Browns second-year cornerback Greg Newsome when Purdue and Northwestern met on the field. Bell smiled broadly when asked about Newsome.
“I played against Greg my sophomore year,” he said. “He’s definitely the best defensive back I played in my collegiate career.
Bell could be viewed as a bargain. He was chosen with the compensatory pick for losing former vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to the Minnesota Vikings, who hired him as their general manager after last season.
Bell’s not considered a speedster, having run a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in early March and running slightly slower (4.71) at Purdue’s pro day.
Browns General Manager Andrew Berry acknowledged the reason Bell fell to the Browns was likely because he didn’t run well in those opportunities.
“But [Bell is a] highly productive player, has the skill set that’s playable in the NFL and we’re happy to have him,” Berry said.
Bell caught 232 passes for 2,946 yards and 21 touchdowns at Purdue. He set the school record with 17 career 100-yard games and averaged an FBS-leading 101.6 receiving yards per game in three seasons, dropping just 11 passes in that span.