_(1).jpg) Bell with the Michigan Wolverines in 2019 | |||||||||
| No. 85 – New Orleans Saints | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Roster status | Practice squad | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (2000-01-28)January 28, 2000 (age 25) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Park Hill (Kansas City, Missouri) | ||||||||
| College | Michigan (2018–2022) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2023: 7th round, 253rd overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
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Ronald Bell (born January 28, 2000) is an American professionalfootballwide receiver for theNew Orleans Saints of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theMichigan Wolverines, winning offensive rookie of the year in 2018, and named anAll-Big Ten selection in 2022. He was selected by the 49ers in the2023 NFL draft.
Bell was a multi-sport athlete atPark Hill High School inKansas City, Missouri. As a senior, he caught 89 passes for 1,605 yards and 21 touchdowns, but he was not ranked in the top 1,000high school football recruits. He originally committed as a basketball player toMissouri State University. After initially receiving noDivision I FBS scholarship offers to play football, he was recruited late byJim Harbaugh and in December 2017 committed to play football for theUniversity of Michigan.[1][2]
Bell enrolled at Michigan in 2018. As a freshman, he had eight receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns, including a 56-yard touchdown reception againstNebraska.[3] At the end of the 2018 season, he received the offensive rookie of the year award.[4]
As a sophomore in 2019, Bell led the team with 81 receiving yards againstArmy, 81 yards againstWisconsin, 83 yards againstRutgers, 98 yards againstIllinois, and 82 yards againstPenn State.[4] After dropping a game-tying pass in the end zone in the closing minutes against Penn State, Bell received national attention for the angry reaction by a Michigan fan and the subsequent rally of fan support behind him.[5][6][7]
AgainstMichigan State on November 16, 2019, Bell had a career-high 150 receiving yards (117 in the first half) on nine catches.[8][9] For the2019 season, he was the Wolverines' leading receiver with 48 receptions for 758 yards.[10] Following the 2019 season, Bell was named an honorable mention all-conference selection by the media.[11]
In theCOVID-19-shortened 2020 season, he was Michigan's leading receiver for the second consecutive year with 26 receptions and 401 receiving yards.[12]
Bell's 2021 season ended when he sustained a knee injury in the season opener.[13]
Against Indiana on October 8, 2022, Bell caught 11 passes for 121 yards.[14] During the 2022 regular season, Bell was the team's leading receiver for the third time in his career with 62 receptions and 889 receiving yards.[15]
| Season | Team | Conf | G | Receiving | Rushing | Returns | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||
| 2018 | Michigan | Big Ten | 13 | 8 | 145 | 18.1 | 2 | 5 | -2 | -0.4 | 0 | 4 | 60 | 15.0 | 0 |
| 2019 | Michigan | Big Ten | 13 | 48 | 758 | 15.8 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 8 | 67 | 8.4 | 0 |
| 2020 | Michigan | Big Ten | 6 | 26 | 401 | 15.4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Michigan | Big Ten | 1 | 1 | 76 | 76.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 31.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Michigan | Big Ten | 14 | 62 | 889 | 14.3 | 4 | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 1 | 2 | 45 | 22.5 | 0 |
| Career | 47 | 145 | 2,269 | 15.6 | 9 | 9 | 30 | 3.3 | 1 | 15 | 203 | 13.5 | 0 | ||
| All values from Michigan Athletics[16] | |||||||||||||||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft11+5⁄8 in (1.82 m) | 191 lb (87 kg) | 31 in (0.79 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.54 s | 1.52 s | 2.57 s | 4.04 s | 6.62 s | 38.5 in (0.98 m) | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | 14 reps | |
| Sources:[17][18] | ||||||||||||
Bell was drafted by theSan Francisco 49ers in the seventh round, 253rd overall, of the2023 NFL draft.[19] He was the last of nine Wolverines drafted in 2023.[20]
During a Week 3 30–12 victory over theNew York Giants, Bell caught his first pass, a 9-yard touchdown reception, from quarterbackBrock Purdy. Bell finished the game with two receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown.[21] In Week 18 in a 21–20 loss to theLos Angeles Rams, Bell had a career high 5 targets, thanks to the 49ers sitting their best players due to already clinching the #1 seed in theNational Football Conference. He only had one catch, a 5-yard touchdown.[22][23] He appeared in all 17 games as rookie. He finished with six receptions for 68 yards and three touchdowns.[24] On November 29, 2024, Bell was waived by the 49ers and re-signed to the practice squad four days later.[25][26]
On January 21, 2025, Bell signed a reserve/future contract with theDetroit Lions.[27] He was waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts, and re-signed to the practice squad.[28][29] On September 30, Bell was released.[30]
On October 7, 2025, Bell signed with theNew Orleans Saints' practice squad.[31]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career best |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2023 | SF | 17 | 0 | 6 | 68 | 11.3 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | SF | 9 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 26 | 0 | 8 | 90 | 11.3 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
