Potential Target for New Orleans Saints in Second Round of NFL Draft: Chris Bell, Louisville

Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Chris Bell could be a top target for the New Orleans Saints in the second round if they don't draft at the position with the eighth overall pick. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Potential Target for New Orleans Saints in Second Round of NFL Draft: Chris Bell, Louisville

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Jim Derry | Last updated Apr 19, 2026 6:05 PM ET

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The closer we get to NFL Draft Day, the better read we can get on which way a team might go early. For the New Orleans Saints, who currently hold pick No. 8, that isn’t necessarily true.

As of late Sunday, the odds are shifting toward the team taking a wide receiver – either Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, if he’s still available, or Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson. However, if the Saints go a different route and either trade up for Jeremiyah Love or go defense, it would be a huge surprise if they didn’t go wide receiver in the second round.

And among those who might be available, there has been a decent amount of talk surrounding Louisville’s Chris Bell.

Fans of the Black and Gold who are hoping the Saints go either Caleb Downs, Rueben Bain or LSU’s Mansoor Delane, are dreaming of the possible selection of Bell at pick No. 42. It has been a high topic of conversation on the Dattitude Podcast, and among “experts,” who think it’s a no-brainer, since he was a teammate of current New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough.

Last year as a senior, Bell finished with 72 catches for 917 yards and six touchdowns, but he was effective in his junior year with Shough, as well. In 2024, he caught 43 passes for 737 yards – a 17.1 yard-per-catch average – with four touchdowns.

Bell hails from Yazoo City, Miss., where he was a state track champion in the 200 meters, and if he were to come to New Orleans, he immediately would become the likely candidate to be WR2 next to Chris Olave.

In fact, Bell is so talented, it is not out of the question that even if the Saints draft Tate or Tyson in Round 1, that they potentially could come back to Bell in the second round.

"I'm still that dog. I'm still that guy. I'm still that beast that you see on the field. "Louisville WR Chris Bell

Like Tyson, though, he also is dealing with a major injury, as he had surgery this past November to repair a torn ACL, which cut his season short. However, at his Combine interview in February, he said: "Don't let this injury fool you. I'm still that dog. I'm still that guy. I'm still that beast that you see on the field. Just give me time, and I'll be back right."

Last year, the Saints ranked 23rd overall in yards per game in offense, but improved greatly the final half of the season after Shough took the reins from Spencer Rattler. In fact, they finished 13th in the NFL in receiving yards per game, and that is despite not having a true No. 2 or No. 3 receiver.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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