2022 NFL Draft: David Bell Has Unbelievable Game In Win Over Iowa

Purdue Boilermakers WR David Bell had a phenomenal performance in the upset win over Iowa, and boosted his 2022 NFL Draft stock in the process.

What a day it was to be a Purdue Boilermaker! In what many believed to be a potentially lopsided affair, Purdue went into Kinnick Stadium to down the Iowa Hawkeyes 24-7 in a stunner. The defense shut down the Hawkeyes offense in the second half, holding them to under 300 yards total and just 4.4 yards per play. The offense brought the juice for this team, especially wideout David Bell.

Bell put on a clinic Saturday, catching 11 passes for 240 yards and a score. That receiving total is the second highest in Purdue history. He scored on a sluggo route, with great eyes and shoulders to get the defender to commit on the slant route. Bell won to all levels of the field, from a drag route underneath early to vertically down the field. He separated quickly when needed and made a couple very good plays with the ball in his hands.

That performance will be remembered by many, and is up there with former teammate Rondale Moore’s performance against Ohio State, also an upset that night. Bell, like Moore, could be thinking about entering the 2022 NFL Draft after the season. He has the pedigree, production, and traits to be a guaranteed day two selection.

Can David Bell rise any higher? Obviously his size and physical nature give him the ability to win against bigger corners, and he’s shown the ability to win at all three levels and be a factor after the catch. The question for him will be creating consistent separation against much quicker defensive backs, as his athletic profile isn’t the strongest compared to other receivers in the class. Still, his reliability in contested spots and ability to win quick should be enough for a team to pounce somewhere on day two, and he could be a productive receiver at the next level, which he showed to a national audience Saturday.