The Cleveland Browns signed a plethora of undrafted free agents after the 2022 NFL Draft and although expectations are usually held in check for undrafted players, every now and again a diamond in the rough emerges. We discussed previously how I admire that this current front office leaves no stone unturned and taking chances on small school guys that weren’t provided the attention of an FBS program is another example of this regime turning over another stone.
The defensive backfield is set to be a fairly strong positional group in Cleveland, but there is opportunity and a player that may get an opportunity to earn a roster spot is D’Anthony Bell. Let’s dive into what he can do!
Strengths
Bell has good NFL size listed at 6′ 1″ and 211 pounds and honestly, he looks bigger than that or at the very least the “Hit Man” plays bigger. Bell’s calling card is his aggressiveness and ability to lay the wood on ball carriers.
His no-fear mentality and size give him the potential to develop into a variable chess piece that could see him play in the box as a strong safety or linebacker. Bell is also a good enough athlete to play free safety or play in the nickel or dime.
#Browns S D'Anthony Bell continuing to make plays today in practice, batting down a pass from Josh Dobbs. pic.twitter.com/CBlGM7v59G
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) August 9, 2022
Weaknesses
The other issue is Bell’s lack of speed. He reportedly runs a 4.45 forty-yard dash, but I would like to see that verified. His overall athleticism is a tad underwhelming, but he is by no means a liability.
D'Anthony Bell takes the smart pick 😎pic.twitter.com/oEIZJ56ti6
— Browns Nation (@BrownsNationCP) August 16, 2022
