Let me first say I like Vonn Bell. Throughout this process I identified him as a guy that was a great fit for the Saints. If you told me Rankins, Thomas and Bell were all three coming to the Saints, I would be thrilled. So I can’t complain too much. But the Saints gave up their 3rd and 4th round picks to move up and get Bell. Which means they won’t be able to get a guard until the 5th round. Bell was 9th on my “Saints board” at this point, behind NT Andrew Billings, DE Shilique Calhoun, DE Carl Nassib, G Vadal Alexander, S Darian Thompson, DE Jonathan Bullard, OLB Jordan Jenkins and DT Sheldon Day. So there were players I preferred, but he was in my top 10 available. Most significant for me, and why I don’t love this, is guard remains the highest priority and it will be ignored. Disappointing. Here’s Bell’s write up on NFL.com:
OVERVIEW
Bell was a top 30 national recruit out of Georgia, but eschewed the overtures of Alabama and other SEC schools to play for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes. His faith in Meyer was rewarded with a national championship in 2014, and the fact his team beat Saban’s Crimson Tide in the title game was no small irony. Bell got on the field right way for OSU, playing as a reserve at the nickel spot most of his true freshman season before earning a starting spot in the Orange Bowl versus Clemson (seven tackles, interception). He was inserted into one of the safety spots for 14-of-15 contests in the Buckeyes’ championship 2014 season, racking up 92 tackles, two for loss, six interceptions and six pass breakups. Though his statistics dropped a bit in his final year in Columbus (65 tackles, two interceptions, nine pass breakups), Bell’s play was still impressive enough to receive 2015 second-team All-Big Ten honors from league coaches (first team from the media).
PRO DAY RESULTS
40-yard dash: 4.51 seconds
Vertical: 30 1/2 inches
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Sheriff mentality looking to corral receivers on his side of the field. Has man cover talent. Instincts and reaction time are big assets. Trusts his eyes and fires downhill as soon as he reads throw. Capacity to meet ball at the catch point more than most cover safeties. Credited with 23 passes defensed over last two seasons. Able to mirror targets and strike a centered blow when flowing downhill. Plays with excellent feel for his responsibilities in space. Sifts through route combinations and always gets to his guy. Rarely out of position.
WEAKNESSES
Play speed looked very average on tape. Time-consuming sprint to boundary from single-high coverage to help over the top. Hip tightness impedes fluid flip and go when beaten in space. Occasionally gets caught peeking in on quarterback for too long and will briefly lose track of receiver. Against the run, allows running backs to get on top of him and deliver the first blow. Drag down tackler without much thud.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 2
SOURCES TELL US
“He’s not special, but he’s solid. I needed to go see him in person because he looked so small on tape and he looks the same in person. You can’t play him around the line of scrimmage, but he’s got instincts in coverage.” — AFC scout
NFL COMPARISON
Kurt Coleman
BOTTOM LINE
Though lacking in desired size and physicality, Bell has the ability to match up in space and is at his best when keeping the action in front of him where he combines his vision, reactive quickness and ball skills to go make plays on the ball. Bell lacks size and isn’t an aggressive tackler so he needs to prove he can run so that he locks in his draft positioning as one of the top free safeties in this draft.
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