Jim Nagy calls Jaheim Bell the ‘positionless player’
Jaheim Bell is a unique NFL prospect for his ability to play multiple different position, which he honed in college the past two seasons. Bell began his college career at South Carolina as a tight end, but by his third season starting seeing time as a ball carrier due to the Gamecocks’ thin backfield.
He saw 73 carries for 261 yards and three touchdowns that year, proving his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. Bell transferred to Florida State this past season and turned in his best year as a receiver, finishing with 39 catches for 502 yards and a pair of scores.
Now he’s set to move on to a pro career, where Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy believes he should be one of the most intriguing players on the board.
“He’s the positionless player,” Nagy told On3‘s Andy Staples. “If you talk to defensive coordinators, they’re all looking for the positionless player. That’s such a departure from where we were 10 years ago. Those guys would’ve been ‘tweeners’ back then and teams would’ve been looking for reasons not to draft him.
“I think if he gets an imaginative offensive coordinator of the Kyle Shanahan tree or Sean McVay tree, he can do all that stuff. I think he can be a ball carrier. I think he’s a mismatch in the slot. You’re gonna have a hard time putting safeties on him. You certainly can’t cover him with most linebackers. I just hope he goes to the right place that can use him and be creative with him because he’s a talented playmaker.”
Jaheim Bell tied for the third-fastest 40 time among tight ends at the NFL Combine at 4.61 seconds. He also had the third-best broad jump at 10-feet and four inches. However, his multi-postionality could be what ultimately separates him from the rest of the crowd.
Bell is currently projected to be picked among the later rounds, with ESPN’s most recent mock draft projecting him No. 190 overall to the New Orleans Saints. If he does fall that late, he could end up being a steal for whichever team takes the chance on him.
The 2024 NFL Draft is set to begin April 25 in Detroit and will run through April 27. We’ll see where Bell ultimately ends up falling with just a little less than a month left to wait.