Chris Bell 2026 NFL Draft: scouting report for Louisville, wide receiver

Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell is one of the more intriguing options in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Oct 17, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Chris Bell (0) carries the football for a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Height: 6020
Weight: 220
Year: Fourth-year senior
Pro Comparison: A.J. Brown

2025 NFL Combine Results

Chris Bell, WR, Louisville

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Pros of Chris Bell

  • The first thing that stands out about Bell is his build and power. He’s compactly built and uses his frame to his advantage with his route running and when he has the ball in space.
  • Bell isn’t the fastest guy out of the blocks, but just like A.J. Brown, he’s very fast once he gets moving. He has build up and keep away speed. Once he’s at full speed, you won’t be catching him.
  • The best way to use Bell is as a yards-after-catch machine. He thrives on crossing and over routes where he can catch the ball on the move, where he softens angles and takes advantage of leverage.

Cons of Chris Bell

  • Due to the role he played at Louisville, there is a lot of development that needs to happen with Bell. He doesn’t have the most expansive route tree in the world, and needs some help adjusting to the nuance of the game.
  • Along with his lack of route-running nuance, Bell doesn’t have a varied release package. They come hand in hand, coming from an offense like Jeff Brohm’s. He has the aptitude to develop that, but he needs time to learn.
  • Injury will be a concern with Bell. He tore his ACL against SMU at the end of the season, and won’t be able to work out during the pre-draft process.

Background

Bell is a really intriguing prospect. He was a three-star recruit out of Yazoo City, Mississippi, where he was the 124th-ranked wide receiver in the 2022 recruiting class per 247 Sports. He received increasing production each season in every aspect, finishing his college career with 151 catches, 2,166 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He enters the NFL Draft process with a torn ACL, which will complicate things for his NFL Draft stock, but the ability he possesses is excellent.

Player Evaluation

Player comps are a difficult thing in this space. They are meant to give fans a semblance of what the player is on the field. Sometimes, they are way off base, but comparing Bell to Brown makes all the sense. They play the game in the same way, have similar frames and skill sets. Bell is likely to fall around the 50th pick, just like Brown was (51st overall) when the Tennessee Titans selected him. If you want to utilize a player who is a carbon copy of Brown from a playstyle standpoint, Bell is your guy.

A to Z Rankings

A to Z Big Board Ranking: 30th overall, WR5

A to Z Draft Grade: 8.22

Draft projection: Late first round

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