Possible Target No. 1: David Bell, WR – Purdue
One of the positions I’d like to see the Bears prioritize in the draft is wide receiver. Not only is it a position of need, but it tends to be one of the deepest positions. In just the last three years, future pro bowlers Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf, AJ Brown, and Diontae Johnson were all taken in the second or third round.
One possible second-rounder candidate is Purdue wideout David Bell. Bell was one of the most productive receivers in college football and has had more receptions and receiving yards of any Big Ten player since 2019. This past season Bell put up 1,286 yards and six touchdowns on 98 receptions and played a key role in the Boilermakers’ upsets over Iowa and Michigan State.
Bell has solid size for the position, at 6’2 205 pounds, but he plays even bigger than that at times. His body control and ball skills give him a large catch radius and allow him to come down with inaccurate passes. Bell also is a powerful runner and is very difficult for defensive backs to bring down on first contact.
The main knock on Bell is his physical traits. He’s not going to blow anyone away with his athletic testing numbers, but he has the skills and production of most day one prospects, so getting him in the second round would be a very solid value pick for Poles.