Senior Bowl director impressed by Patriots' rookie late-round draft pick

Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy offered insight into New England Patriots rookie tight end Jaheim Bell in ESPN’s Mike Reiss’ Sunday notes column.

Bell was selected out of Florida State in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft. He finished his collegiate career with 95 catches for 1,260 yards and nine touchdowns in total. He transferred to Florida State in 2023 after spending his first three years at the University of South Carolina.

The 2023 season saw him tally 39 catches for 503 yards and two touchdowns for the Seminoles.

His versatility was on display throughout his entire college career. A perfect example would be his game against the Tennessee Volunteers in November 2022, when he carried the ball 17 times for 82 yards, while also catching five passes for 39 yards.

His rare skill set is something that caught Nagy’s eye, and it could prove to be his calling card in the NFL.

“He is extremely versatile,” Nagy told Reiss. “This isn’t true helmet scouting, but there was some similar usage to him and what they got out of Deebo Samuel when he was [at South Carolina], just in terms of some of the slot and running back versatility. There was some fullback usage in there.”

It will be interesting to see exactly where he fits in the Patriots’ tight ends room. Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper are the top veteran options, but Bell will undoubtedly add a strong injection of youth talent.

If he puts it all together right out of the gates, he might not have to wait long to see game action.