Dallas Cowboys Markquese Bell, Safety, Florida A&M
Markquese Bell was one of the Dallas Cowboys official 30 visitors before the NFL draft; however, the former Florida A&M standout went undrafted, and Dallas wisely jumped at the opportunity to sign him as an undrafted free agent. And Bell hasn’t disappointed as he has turned heads at Dallas’ rookie training camp and in OTA’s (organized team activities).
Bell made an impression during OTA’s when he picked off backup quarterback Cooper Rush during a passing drill and took it 98 yards for a touchdown. What made it more impressive was that it was 4th and 1 inside the 10 and the final play of the two-minute drill.
Blessed with a 4.41-second 40-yard dash time, it’s not surprising that Bell jumped the route and took an interception to pay dirt. Bell has all of the tangibles/intangibles defensive coordinator Dan Quinn likes in his defensive backs: height (6’2), weight (212 pounds) and athletic ability (36.5 vertical).
In his two career seasons at Florida A&M, Bell tallied 156 tackles, 11.5 TFL (tackles for loss), 2.0 sacks, 10 PBU (pass breakups), and six interceptions. Last season alone he recorded 95 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and five forced fumbles to boot. Bell might be buried on the depth chart behind Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson, Malik Hooker, Israel Mukuamu, and Tyler Coyle, but stiff competition from a promising rookie always makes the cream rise to the top. Hopefully, Bell is the cream.