May 8, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Kenny Bell (80) works out for rookie mini camp at One Buc Place. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Kenny Bell, WR
Fifth round, 162nd overall
Our reaction:
. In a limited time, Kenny Bell has shown that he can develop into a nice wide receiver who can play on the other side of the Buccaneers’ future No. 1, Mike Evans. On Day 1, Bell showed a little bit of rust or nerves, dropping a couple balls. However, he did manage to disprove one of the major criticisms about his game.
According to his NFL.com draft profile, Bell had “some stiffness to his routes…doesn’t get into and out of breaks as cleanly as scouts would like to see.” In the one-on-one drills against defensive backs, the Nebraska product ran clean routes and showed the type of quickness and deep ball potential that the passing game could benefit from this season. Here’s Exhibit A.
Meanwhile, on Twitter, people are already raving about Bell’s potential.
Kenny Bell could be that slot threat that we need. Good hands and speed. I love him
— Fear The Bay (@FireThe_Cannons) May 11, 2015
@JoeKaniaBucs I think we got a STEAL with receiver Kenny Bell who will be a solid #3 as the season goes on!
— Chris Ellington (@Chrispy0515) May 11, 2015
For a fifth-rounder, Bell is looking impressive and we can’t help but crack a little smile when thinking about how we may have gotten a steal that late in the draft. Playing alongside a skilled veteran like Vincent Jackson will only help him improve on things like route-running and other technical aspects of the NFL game. By the time V-Jax either leaves the team or retires, Bell has the potential to come in and take over as the Buccaneers’ No. 2 wideout. Not a bad deal when you consider the team used a fifth-rounder on him.