Skyler Bell, the Buffalo Bills’ rookie fourth-rounder out of UConn, is currently outside of the top-4 wide receivers, per The Athletic’s Joe Biscaglia’s report from the facility.

In fact, the top-4 right currently consists of DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer. I know some people are reading this as a bad sign for the rookie, but I really don’t think this is a big deal at all.

On top of that, Bell is a fourth-round rookie out of a small school surrounded by more veteran players. There’s no problem with him sitting just outside that top group early in camp.

But the part that does intrigue me is what kind of opportunity Bell could carve out for himself as the 2026 season unfolds. And I think there’s a real path for him.

Keon Coleman’s uncertainty opens a door

The obvious one here is Keon Coleman. Coleman has played in 26 games across 2 NFL seasons, has dealt with a lot of off-the-field issues, which is making this really a make-or-break year for him. If the same problems start to surface again, Bell could easily slide into that No. 4 receiver spot. All he has to do is show he can be trustworthy and dependable as a player and a teammate.

Then there’s veteran Joshua Palmer, who is a solid rotational wide receiver, but he dealt with significant lower-body injury issues last year. Is that going to set him back at all this year? It might. If it does, that’s another opening for Bell to work his way into the rotation more frequently.

The Khalil Shakir factor

Now, here’s where it gets a little tougher. Khalil Shakir operates mainly out of the slot, which is where I see Bell playing his best football. At around 5-foot-11 and running a 4.4, Bell is a prototypical slot receiver in the NFL. That doesn’t mean he can’t get moved around, because he certainly can, but the slot projects as his ideal role in my eyes. Shakir is a dependable, productive player in that spot, and that reality might keep Bell on the sideline for the majority of his rookie season, but obviously would allow him to gain plenty of knowledge about the position and role in Buffalo’s offense.

Don’t count Skyler Bell out

Either way, just because this is a kid from UConn and someone who was a fourth-round pick, I would not count him out from having a role on this Bills team. There’s going to be some opportunity at some point for him to make plays on the field. Heck, Bills Legend Andre Reed was a fourth-round pick and he caught 48 passes and had 4 touchdowns in his rookie campaign.

At the end of the day, you have to put the best players out there who are dependable, trustworthy, and can get on the same page with your quarterback. As long as Bell does those things, there’s no limit for his future in Buffalo. As far as the here and now is concerned though, I think an opportunity will break in his favor to make things happen in his rookie season.