The New England Patriots signed free agent tight end Mitchell Wilcox in the week leading up to the NFL Draft. It gave them the luxury of not needing to reach at the position during the draft. But in Round 7 the Patriots saw an opportunity too good to pass up. They made Florida State’s Jaheim Bell their selection at No. 231.
This was the evaluation of Jaheim Bell from Patriots Football Now when he was ranked as the No. 5 tight end in the 2024 NFL Draft back on Oct. 28, 2023:
“Although he doesn’t have the size of some of the others on this list, Bell produces. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds he has a reputation for not being a great blocker. However, his 2023 film at Florida State shows vast improvements over what is generally thought of as a weakness for Bell. Some evaluators might not be as high on Jaheim Bell, but his versatility and production are both very appealing here. Guessing they would be attractive attributes to Bill Belichick as well. In 2022 he had more rushing yards (261) than receiving yards (231) while playing for South Carolina. Any weapon capable of producing in multiple ways is always going to be a needed commodity on NFL teams.” – Dan Kelley
Bell comes from the winningest high school program in history at Valdosta High School in Valdosta, Ga. It is the same school once attended by former New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell. He played his first three seasons at South Carolina, starring in the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl with five receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 241-pound tight end (his combine measurements) transferred to Florida State following the 2022 season. He helped the Seminoles to an undefeated regular season in 2023, catching 39 passes for 502 yards and two touchdowns.
Jaheim Bell is also a former teammate of the New England Patriots sixth-round pick, Marcellas Dial Jr.
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