A few months ago, when he was considering the next move in his professional career, Seattle Seahawks' safety D’Anthony Bell understood what he would face were he to sign with Seattle. The Hawks already had two solid young safeties on board in Julian Love and Coby Bryant, in addition to three other developmental safeties on the roster.
Then came the NFL draft when Seattle traded up in the second round to grab Nick Emmanwori, another safety, and one more obstacle in the way of Bell’s path to a roster spot.
But obstacles have never really slowed down D’Anthony Bell. On his way to the NFL, Bell attended four different colleges and took a year off to work a construction job to earn some money. Cleveland signed him as an undrafted free agent in the summer of 2022, and against long odds, he made the Browns' roster. He was the first player from the University of West Florida to make a pro squad.
What D’Anthony Bell can bring to the Seahawks
Bell checks off all the boxes that you look for in a safety. At 6’1”, 211 pounds, he has the length and size to play in the box or to cover tight ends. He has good speed and excellent agility. His athletic profile is very similar to that of Bryant.
In Cleveland, Bell provided depth at the back end of the defense. He logged about 400 defensive snaps over these three seasons and never looked out of place. But his real value came on special teams.
D’Anthony Bell was on the field for more than one thousand special teams’ snaps in those three years. That is an extraordinary number. In 2024, he logged an astonishing 394 ST snaps alone. That is more snaps played by either Brenden Schooler or J.T. Gray, the first and second team All-Pro special teamers from last year.
The Seahawks' coverage and return units struggled last season. If he makes the final roster, Bell figures to play on each of those units and should provide a boost.
And he may be ready for a bigger role on defense. With Love, Bryant, and Emmanwori ahead of him, there may not be a lot of room for a fourth safety, beyond providing depth in the event of injury. However, Mike Macdonald prioritizes athletic versatility across his defenses.
Though Love figures to be the deep anchor, Bryant and Emmanwori, along with cornerback Devon Witherspoon, could move around a lot.
If Macdonald wants to keep opposing offenses off balance by occasionally blitzing Emmanwori, or shifting Bryant to the boundary and moving Spoon into the slot, he needs similarly versatile players to complete those packages. Bell can play in the box, and he can drop into coverage.
He can also attack the backfield. Best of all, he is a sure tackler, which is essential for any player looking to earn snaps in Macdonald’s defense. Need further proof of Bell's versatility?
In week 16 of the 2023 season, Bell recorded six solo tackles, two pass defenses, and one quarterback hit in a win over the Houston Texans. On top of that, in the fourth quarter, he kicked off for the Browns.
Both the placekicker and punter had gone down with injuries, so D'Anthony Bell stepped into the breach. He was also credited with the tackle on the return.
Seahawks’ reporter Corbin Smith has already reported on what a good early impression Bell has made during OTAs. There is still a long way to go, and things will no doubt change over the summer. But that shouldn’t deter D’Anthony Bell. He is looking to prove he can be a major benefit to Seattle’s special teams as well as offering secure depth and flexibility at safety.