Dallas Cowboys sign former Florida A&M, Maryland safety Markquese Bell as undrafted free agent

The Dallas Cowboys have signed safety Markquese Bell as an undrafted free agent, according to On3’s Matt Zenitz. Bell spent the first two seasons of his college career with the Maryland Terrapins before transferring to FCS school Florida A&M in 2019.

Throughout his career with the Rattlers, Bell finished with 95 total tackles to go along with two sacks and five forced fumbles. He helped the team finish with a 9-3 record this past season, falling in the FCS playoffs to Southeastern Louisiana. At the NFL Combine in March, Bell impressed scouts by posting a time of 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

A former four-star recruit, Bell ranked as the No. 21 safety and No. 187 overall player in the 2017 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. It’s clear based on this that he has talent, and will attempt to put that on display in the NFL with the Cowboys.

Bell was one of several undrafted free agents to sign with the Cowboys on Saturday following the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft. Other notable names include UCF edge defender Big Kat Bryant, USC cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Ole Miss receiver Dontario Drummond.

NFL.com scouting report on Markquese Bell

Bell might have gone undrafted, but NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein believes he could become a solid pro player with some work. In his analysis of Bell, Zierlein noted a few areas where he would like to see him improve.

“Active, lanky safety with run support flashes but a need for better technique and body control as a tackler,” Zierlein wrote. “Bell has experience at a variety of alignments but is too tight-hipped to be cast in heavy-duty coverage assignments. His movements are unorthodox and lack desired fluidity, but he plays with a burst to close that helps him do his job. He could use a more clearly defined skill set to flash enough to make a practice squad or back-end of a roster.