At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, the Pittsburgh Steelers had one known formal interview with a tight end. That player was FSU TE Jaheim Bell. Sorting through who I wanted to interview in that group, knowing that the Steelers have a well-stocked tight end room, Bell was the player that most fit the body-type profile of a fullback.
There are only 10 players that aligned in the position enough to qualify as fullbacks last season and the average height and weight is 6-1, 249 pounds. Bell is 6-2, 241 pounds. Looking at the fullbacks that Steelers OC Arthur Smith used with the Atlanta Falcons, Keith Smith is 6-0, 240 pounds. With the Tennessee Titans, he had Khari Blasingame (6-0, 233) and Anthony Firkser (6-2, 246). Bell fits the general profile.
Blocking is one of the main components of the fullback position. Bell is more of a receiver than a blocker at this point in his career, but he talked about improving his blocking in 2023 during his combine media session. His Pro Football Focus blocking grades have increased in each of the last three seasons, culminating in a 64.0 run-block grade and a 51.8 pass-block grade — still a work in progress, but with steady progression.
He also said in his media session that some teams have discussed the possibility of turning him into a fullback. While he could possibly fill that role for a team, he could align elsewhere and be used in a variety of different ways.
Bell also played in a number of different roles within the FSU offense including tight end, h-back, and in the backfield as a running back. The modern full back, like Kyle Juszczyk, wears many hats and offers plus abilities as a receiver. Bell’s experience as a tight end with roughly 31 catches per season over the last three years could be a valuable part of the puzzle on offense and allow for a wider range of plays to be called out of I formation packages.
He tested well at the combine with an 8.50 RAS score via Kent Lee Platte on X. That number would likely look higher if measured as a fullback rather than a tight end.
Smith hasn’t placed a big emphasis on getting the fullback involved as a receiver over the last five seasons, but a handful of catches each year is enough to where opposing defenses have to account for the extra possibility. Interestingly, Bell has very similar measurables to Jonnu Smith, who has been a favorite of Arthur Smith’s over the years.
While a formal meeting at the combine might not seem like much, Bell was one of only a few confirmed players to have a formal meeting with the Steelers while also attending the Senior Bowl. The Steelers passed on meeting with other top prospects that they almost certainly have interest in, like Jackson Powers-Johnson, Payton Wilson, and Quinyon Mitchell. Part of that is because the team gets a finite amount of visits.
Tomlin and a lot of the decision makers for the Steelers were at the Senior Bowl and met with many of the prospects. It makes sense to gather as much information as possible about different players and use formal visits on others. So the fact that Bell was both at the Senior Bowl and had a formal could be a significant sign of the team’s interest in him.
And, just for fun, he made a one-handed catch at the combine along the sideline. Remembering back to last year’s combine, TE Darnell Washington made the exact same catch.
