The Browns on Friday selected WR David Bell with the 99th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Bell, an Indianapolis native, was a First Team All-American in 2021 with Purdue after he totaled 93 receptions for 1,286 yards and six touchdowns. He caught 21 total touchdowns across three seasons with the Boilermakers and was also a First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2020, when he caught 625 yards and eight touchdowns in six games in a pandemic-shortened season.
"It probably starts really with just his hands," Browns EVP of Football Operations and GM Andrew Berry said. "We thought he had some of the best hands in this draft class. He is also very savvy as a route runner, just very nuanced and polished and has the ability to separate. We think he is a guy who can really play both outside and inside, but we think that he can really make a living with his size, his savvy and his hands in the slot, but we are excited to get to work with him.
"At the receiver position, there are a number of different styles that produce. Look, everybody loves speed across the field, but there are also fast guys that really don't have the route running ability to actually separate; they can run really fast, but everyone is pretty fast in the NFL. There are also receivers that are bigger body types that have the ability to separate laterally or have the savviness to win at the top of the routes. I think good receivers come in different shapes and sizes, and although David may not be the fastest player in the NFL, I think he has a number of compensating factors that will allow him to produce."
The Browns currently have no more picks left on Day 2 but are set to have six picks entering Day 3. They hold three picks in the fourth round (Nos. 108, 118 and 124) and picks in the sixth round (202nd overall) and seventh round (223rd and 246th overall).
