Michigan wide receiver Ronnie Bell isn’t a particularly standout prospect on paper, but he does plenty of things that should garner the attention of the 49ers. He’s been a popular prospect in the pre-draft process, and met with San Francisco among a slew of other clubs per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston.
Bell’s typical measurables don’t jump off the page. He measured in at the combine at just under 6-0 and 191 pounds. He also ran a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash with a 1.54 10-yard split per the Athletic. None of those numbers are bad, but none of them are stellar either.
The same goes for his college stats. He started 31 of his 47 games and hauled in 145 passes for 2,269 yards and 9 touchdowns. Again those are fine numbers, but with Brown it’s about digging deeper than the stats.
His size isn’t remarkable, but he plays bigger than he measures. Brown is good at moving through traffic on underneath routes without getting knocked off his route, and he’s capable of making tough catches when he’s not able to fully separate. He also shows up as a blocker in the run game – a key to getting on the field as a WR with the 49ers.
Bell isn’t blazing fast, but he has enough speed to stretch the field vertically, though it’s easier in an offense like Kyle Shanahan’s to see where Brown would be effective in the intermediate areas.
With the stats, it’s important to note one of his seasons (2020) was just six games long because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then his 2021 campaign was derailed by a torn ACL in the season opener.
In 2019 Bell had a breakout year with 48 catches for 758 yards and one touchdown in his sophomore campaign. Then came the pandemic-shortened season and his ACL tear. Still, he bounced back in 2022 with a career year where posted 62 catches for 889 yards and four touchdowns.
If Bell can block at the NFL level and continue his upward trajectory as a pass catcher, he could carve out a really nice role as a late-round pick.
