New England Patriots rookie tight end Jaheim Bell has impressed throughout the training camp practices.
He had a huge day at Sunday’s practice in particular, scoring three touchdowns on offense. It was an important performance considering both veteran tight ends, Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, were out with injuries.
The hype around the seventh-round draft pick began early on. The Florida State product was compared to Deebo Samuel by his coach, wide receiver specialist TJ Brown. For the Patriots, Bell is the kind of player who could be looked back on as a major draft steal down the road.
“I’ve just been prepared every day,” Bell told reporters. “Whenever it was my time for me to shine, yesterday was one of those days for me. I always tell myself, ‘Be ready for when that moment comes.’ Because when you get those moments, you don’t want to look back and say, ‘I wish I did this, and I wish I did that.’ With that opportunity I made the most of it.”
Video: Patriots rookie TE @dba_bell says he’s been preparing to be ready for when opportunity arises … as it did Sunday when he stepped up in the absence of injured teammates and scored three TDs in practice. pic.twitter.com/k1B0m0fKqY
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 19, 2024
Bell could be an intriguing player to watch for the Patriots. He was a low-risk, high-reward draft selection.
New England needed depth at the tight end position, and Bell could be a strong No. 3 option. Even with Henry and Hooper in the mix, the rookie has shown enough that he might still be given opportunities to make an impact.
