How does one evaluate physical and mental toughness? Watch Turron Davenport and I study three games of Nebraska WR and Combine Stud Kenny Bell.
Film session No.32 is the second time I’ve featured Kenny Bell, but even if you saw the first session there’s more to see from the second look. This second look mimics much of the layer-adding of information to the evaluation process.
The first Kenny Bell film room featured a lot of the positives that the Combine echoed: Speed, quickness, agility, and catch radius. This second look at Bell with Davenport, a former college wide receiver who earned a CFL offer, reveals more of his minuses.
But the reason guys like me, Davenport, and several other drafniks and analysts are excited about Bell is that these flaws are enough to drop his draft stock, but not enough to prohibit him from out-playing that stock 2-3 years from now.
In this respect, drafting a player takes on a similar dynamic as buying a car. Teams want their first and second-round picks to look like new cars: No flaws, stylish, and if any work needs to be done, it better be a quick fix of a factor flaw or after manufacturing customization.
Third and fourth-round picks are like fleet cars. They should be in good condition with a good maintenance record, reasonable mileage, and minor flaws that a day at the mechanic will address. After the fourth-round, you’re looking at used cars where you need a good idea and understanding of what’s under the hood and whether you’re getting a bargain or a beater.
Bell drops passes and lacks some upper body strength. We saw this at the Combine and it shows up in the three games we study below.
However, the RSP’s version of Click & Clack believe we’re looking at a fine sports car that’s fast, durable, handles well, and just needs some minor to moderate work that might scare off those who don’t understand the ins and outs of vehicles–you know, guys who just want to look good in a car, but don’t want to maintain it:
- Why Bell drops passes and why his film displays it’s a problem he can address.
- How Bell’s drops and catches work together to paint a portrait of his potential for growth and his mental toughness.
- What the nature of Bell’s targets and blocking assignments reveal what Nebraska thinks of the receiver.
- How Bell’s blocking defines his physical and mental toughness.
- How high-effort bleeds to into every aspect of a player’s game and creates positive outcomes on “lucky-fortunate” plays.
- What Bell does at the beginning of routes to get defenders to sit in the chair and lose the route within the first 3-4 steps of the line.
- Where Bell fits in the NFL and why his comparisons fits a long a range of players that include Marvin Jones, Kenny Stills, Brandon Lloyd, and Hines Ward–a disparate group in some respects, but it all works upon breaking it down.
Enjoy…
If you haven’t seen the rest of the RSP Film Room episodes, check them out at this page or subscribe to the RSP Film Room on YouTube.
For analysis of skill players in this year’s draft class, get the 2015 Rookie Scouting Portfolio – available for pre-order now. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2015 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.
The 2015 RSP, like every other RSP from 2006-2014, will be ready for download April 1.