Overview
Position: Safety
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 200 pounds
Bench Press: 16 reps
School: Ohio State Buckeyes
Vonn Bell 2016 NFL Draft Profile
Vonn Bell was a heavily recruited five-star player out of Rossville, Georgia. He was rated as the second best safety in the 2013 recruiting class, and ranked as a top 30 player in the country. Urban Meyer was able to use his SEC background to bring the talented safety out of SEC territory and into Ohio State.
Bell came in and played almost immediately. He did not start right away but saw a ton of time as a cornerback in the nickel package. Bell was able to record 19 tackles (one for loss) and an interception as a freshman. He started in eight games, including their bowl game against Clemson. In that game he was able to make a statement by recording seven tackles and an interception in the loss.
In his sophomore year he came in as the starting safety. That season he started in 15 games, including the national semifinal, and the national championship win for the Buckeyes. Bell accounted for an interception in the semifinal against Alabama, and combined for 14 tackles in the two games. He finished the year with 91 tackles (two for loss) and six interceptions, all career highs.
Bell obviously had a lot of hype coming into 2015 after his breakout sophomore campaign and a national championship win. He was able to put in 13 starts and, while his numbers were not as impressive as the year before, it was noted by a lot of Big 10 coordinators that in 2015, the plan was to avoid Bell’s side of the field at all costs. He recorded 65 tackles (one for loss) and two interceptions, including his first career pick six.
Strengths
- Played mostly as a two high safety, and is comfortable in a cover-2 type defense
- Really good at wrapping up for tackles
- Good at running downfield to attack the run
- Has a knack for finding where the ball will go
Weaknesses:
- Takes bad tackling angles at times
- Has some mental lapses in coverage which can lead to being beat deep
- Not a hard hitter, relies on technique tackling
- Questionable athleticism after missing the combine
NFL Comparison: Tashaun Gipson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Teams with need at position: San Diego Chargers, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals
Projection: 2nd round
Bottom Line:
Vonn Bell is not a guy who will wow you on tape, and he will probably not be an All-Pro type player, but teams could do a lot worse. There is not any one quality at which he really shines above the rest of the pack, but at the same time he has a refined game, and there are no glaring weaknesses in his game that would cause him to have short lived NFL career. With Bell’s low ceiling comes a low floor, and it is apparent that he is capable of playing more than just the Cover-2 looks that he did in Columbus. If you are looking to bet on a guy who can plug in from day one and not be considered a liability it would seem that Bell could be that guy, and with that should come NFL longevity.
Main Photo
