3 things to know about Patriots seventh-round pick Jaheim Bell

He was a versatile player in college.

Bell’s listed as a tight end, but he mostly wasn’t used as a conventional, hand-in-the-dirt tight end during his time at South Carolina and Florida State.

This past season, Bell recorded 44.3 percent of his snaps in the slot, with 43 percent of his snaps coming as the inline tight end and 10.4 percent of his snaps being lined up outside. At South Carolina, Bell actually played a noticeable amount of snaps out of the backfield.

South Carolina and Florida State used Bell’s versatility to their advantage at points over the last three years. The Gamecocks weren’t shy in using Bell as a running back, giving him 73 carries in 2022. He only rushed for 261 yards on 3.6 yards per carry, but he had three scores that season.

At Florida State, Mike Norvell used Bell as a passing option in the flats. While he recorded 39 receptions for 503 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, 31 of Bell’s 39 receptions came as an underneath or a dump-off option (receptions recorded within nine yards of the line of scrimmage), according to The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler.

He’s one of the most athletic tight ends in the draft.

Bell isn’t the biggest tight end you’ll see. He’s 6-foot-2 and 241 pounds, which is notably smaller frame than current Patriots tight ends Hunter Henry (6-5, 258 pounds) and Austin Hooper (6-4, 253 pounds). His composite size grade is rated as “very poor” on his Relative Athletic Score (RAS) sheet.

But Bell was able to be productive in college due to his athleticism. His 4.61 40 time at the combine was the third fastest among tight ends. His 1.58 10-yard split was tied for the fourth quickest among tight ends. He also had strong showings in the vertical (35-inch) and broad (10-4) jumps, ranking fifth and third among players at his position, respectively.

As a result, Bell’s composite speed grade was rated as “elite” while he was given a “great” composite explosion grade, helping him earn an 8.45 RAS. That RAS score was the second-best mark among all players the Patriots selected in this year’s draft (Drake Maye doesn’t have an RAS due to his decision not to participate in drills at the combine).

Bell’s RAS helped him earn a few comps to tight ends who had productive NFL careers. His RAS comp grades were compared to Delanie Walker, Dustin Keller, and Gerald Everett, who also have relatively smaller frames for a tight end but also had a similar athleticism and bust that Bell had at the combine.

That athleticism helped Bell turn those aforementioned dump-off passes in college into bigger players. His 8.1 yards after catch per reception was the third-best mark in college football this past season. He’s also recorded 36 missed tackles since 2021, the second-most for a tight end in college football over that stretch, per Pro Football Focus. He also had 30 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns, a team-high, in 2021.

Scouts see some potential in Bell as a depth tight end in the passing game.

Over the years, Patriots fans have been used to seeing the team carry three tight ends on their roster, often using that third tight end as a sheer blocker.

If they keep Bell on the final 53-man roster, it might be to give whoever’s at quarterback a safe check-down option.

“Overall, Bell isn’t a dynamic weapon, but he has pass-catching talent, and NFL teams will like his contact balance and competitive chops as a blocker, receiver and after the catch,” Brugler wrote. “A similar player to the Houston Texans’ Brevin Jordan, he can earn a No. 2 tight end role.”

One scout told the Boston Herald‘s Doug Kyed that Bell is a “super athletic H-back type” that teams can develop as a route runner and potentially use as a special teams contributor.

NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein believes Bell might have an uphill battle to make an NFL squad, writing that he “might need to find a modified gadget role and really show out on special teams” to earn a roster spot.

“Undersized as a tight end and lacking instincts as a lead blocker out of the backfield, Bell is a player without a clean positional fit after playing all over the field at South Carolina and Florida State,” Zierlein wrote.” When Bell centers in and locks up, he can be an effective blocker, but he is wildly inconsistent when asked to make blocks on the move in space. He’s tight-hipped, but he does have the speed to run the seams and is a talented runner after the catch.”

Still, those concerns from scouts haven’t deterred Bell, who’s made some strong claims about his game on social media as of late.

“I’m the best TE in the draft & i stamp that!!! Check the tape!!” Bell wrote in a social media post on April 12.

Bell also seemed to take exception to falling to the seventh round of the draft.

“you ain’t keep it 🅿️ okay bet stand on that,” Bell wrote in one post.

“now y’all really then woke dat demon up 🤬💯,” Bell wrote in another on Saturday.