Chris Bell Named Among Top Wide Receivers in 2026 NFL Draft Class

During his first two seasons as the head coach at Louisville, Jeff Brohm has done a solid job of getting guys to the NFL. Seven Cardinals have been selected in the 2024 and 2025 NFL Drafts, with a few others hanging onto 53-man roster spots as undrafted free agents.

Heading into year three, Louisville has a handful of players that have already been starting to generate buzz for the 2026 NFL Draft. One of which is wide receiver Chris Bell, who is starting to be considered one of the best draft prospects at his position.

On Thursday, The Athletic's Dane Brugler, who is a well-renowned NFL Draft analyst, released his rankings of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2026 draft class. Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson took the No. 1 spot, but right behind him at No. 2 was Bell.

With a verified 6-foot-1.5 and 227-pound frame, combined with a 40-yard time that sits around 4.4, Brugler is extremely high on Bell's set of physical intangibles and how that translates to the football field.

"With his strong, muscular frame, Bell passes the eye test walking off the bus, but he also plays the part expected of an athlete of his stature," Brugler wrote. "He uses his physicality to be a possession target who can make tough grabs over defenders. And with his 4.4 speed, Bell can separate vertically or create explosive plays after the catch."

The only thing that Brugler is not a huge fan of regarding Bell is his limited route tree, saying he is "still a work in progress when it comes to some of the finer points of the position." That being said, he expects Bell to take massive step forward in 2025.

"Based on his rare size/speed mix, Bell enters the season as my top-ranked senior wide receiver prospect," Brugler wrote. "Part of that projection is the expectation that Bell will take another step this season and prove to NFL teams that he belongs in the early rounds."

Bell has made steady improvements each year in college, and is coming off of a career year. Starting all 13 games in 2024, the outside receiver caught 43 passes for 737 yards and four touchdowns, all of which were second on the team to Ja'Corey Brooks.

The Yazoo City, Miss. native was able to crack Louisville's main wide receiver rotation as just a true freshman, finishing the 2022 season with seven catches for 105 yards. In 2023 for what was Jeff Brohm's first season at the helm, he took a big step forward, hauling in 29 receptions for 407 yards and two touchdowns.

Bell enters his senior season with 79 career receptions for 1,249 yards and six touchdowns, along with two rushes for 43 yards - both attempts coming last season.