By Dustin Brown, Co-Founder and Podcaster of the Fantasy Football Healers
6-13-2026
If you like learning about rookies and your last name is “Bell,” this article is for you! The 2026 rookie class was loaded at the wide receiver position but one name was seen more than all the rest, “Bell”. At first glance, it is easy to confuse the players by name alone but that would be a mistake. Draft capital, landing spots, athleticism, and college production varied between the players. Let’s take a closer look at the 3 Bells of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Chris Bell
Chris Bell entered the draft as a true senior, coming out of Louisville. Bell has a massive “X” receiver build at 6’2″ 222lbs. He is known for his ability to get open on crossing routes and he is versatile on special teams. He had exhibited elite speed while being clocked at over 21.5 mph in college. Bell was coming off his best season in college with 72 rec (110 targets), 917 yards, and 6 TDs and he was awarded First-Team All-ACC honors. Chris Bell was being mocked to be drafted as early as the 1st round in this years NFL draft. That was until tragedy struck! Chris tore his ACL on November 22, 2025 against SMU which ended his breakout season. Chris had ACL repair surgery in Mid-December 2025, just 4 months prior to the NFL draft. ACL repairs generally take 9-12 months to rehab and fully recover.
Going into the Draft, the Dolphins were completely depleted at the wide receiver position. They needed some offensive weapons. The Dolphins had already moved on from Tua, Waddle, and Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins brought in Malik Willis on essentially a 2 year prove it deal to lead the team. The rebuilding Dolphins decided to take a chance on Chris Bell by selecting him in the 3rd round, No. 94 overall. Chris Bell appears to be a very strategic pick for the Dolphins as they can decide to let the talented wide receiver sit and fully recover from the ACL repair. At this time, Chris appears to be recovering quicker than expected and he has already been participating in the Dolphins OTAs. He has already been cleared to run at speeds over 18 mph which translates to 4.3 40-yard dash per Yahoo Sports! Although there is no timetable for Chris Bell’s full return to sport, there is plenty of upside with drafting the young star.
Skyler Bell
Skyler Bell is an older prospect. He will be entering his age 24 season as a rookie. He played for Wisconsin and then transferred to UCONN to play his final 2 collegiate seasons. He broke out after transferring to UCONN. In his first season with the Huskies, he accumulated 50 rec, 860 yards, and 5 TDs. He then returned to UCONN for his final season and blew up with 101 rec, 1,278 yards, and 13 TDs. Skyler Bell was a Biletnikoff Award finalist, which is awarded to the best wide receiver in college football. Skyler’s frame is quite different than Chris Bell. Skyler Bell is 6’0″ 192lbs and he is a much more versatile receiver. Skyler can play inside as a slot and he can play out wide on the perimeter. Although an older prospect, he stands out with his route running, explosiveness, and ability to separate. Per Playerprofiler.com, Skyler Bell scored at an elite 39% college dominator rating (81 percentile to all wide receivers in database) and an elite college target share of 31.8% (94 percentile to all WR).
Unlike Chris Bell, Skyler Bell was able to prepare for the NFL draft by showing off his athleticism on one of the biggest stages, “The NFL Combine”. Skylar ran a 4.40 40-yard dash which translated to 101.0 speed score. He was able to show off his elite burst and catch radius at the Combine. Ultimately impressing the Buffalo Bills to pick him in the 4th round (No. 125 overall) of the 2026 NFL draft. Skylar Bell finds himself in a more crowded room with newly acquired DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, and Keon Coleman. Keon Coleman having played 2 seasons with the Bills and being nearly 1 year younger than Skyler Bell has been a disappointment. In the 2 seasons with the Bills, Keon Coleman has been benched multiple times for disciplinary action and poor play. Coleman has not reached 40 rec in either season with the Bills. Khalil Shakir has been the Buffalo Bills leading receiver the past 2 seasons with 719 yards (2025) and 821 yards (2024). The newly acquired DJ Moore is projected to jump up to the #1WR position for the Buffalo Bills. Skylar will need to prove himself by showing off his versatility, separation, and speed during training camp/OTAs in order to jump up to the starting roster. The Buffalo Bills believe they are still Superbowl contenders and they plan to put up a show for the 2026 season.
Dillon Bell
The little talked about Dillon Bell out of Georgia also entered the 2026 NFL Draft. Dillon Bell is 6’0″ 212lbs. Dillon Bell played all 4 years at Georgia with a limited production profile. His best season at Georgia was in 2024 where he caught 43 rec for 466 yards and 4TDs with Carsen Beck under center. In 2024, many believed that Carsen Beck was holding the Georgia Bulldogs back. In 2025, the Bulldogs started Gunner Stockton who led the team to a 12-2 record and an appearance in the Sugar Bowl. The QB change did not appear to improve Dillon Bell’s stats. He only accumulated 27 rec 268 yards and 2 TDs. Although Dillons production profile is limited he was named to the East Roster of the Shrine Bowl in 2026, where he had a successful week showing off his route-running and deep ball catches. He is a versatile outside receiver and he can show his play making ability with taking hand offs in the backfield. Through his entire college career, Dillon has 51 carries for 373 yards (7.3 ypc) and 5 TDs.
Dillon Bell ultimately went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and he signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent. Dillon finds himself on a team that has had success with developing late round wide receivers. Most recently developing Jalen Nailor (6th Rd, No. 191) in 2022 and K.J. Osborn (5th Rd, No. 176) in 2025. Both of which are dynamic and versatile players who could fill in where needed. Jalen Nailor currently finds himself as a primary target with the Raiders in 2026.
There are extremely low expectations for Dillon Bell entering the 2026 season. First, he has to make the team or practice squad. The Minnesota wide receiver room is as follows: Justin Jefferson, Jordon Addison, Jauan Jennings (new addition), Tai Felton (2025 3rd Rd pick), Jeshaun Jones, Trayvon Rudolph, Michael Briscoe, Myles Price, and Terrill Davis. Most teams tend to roster 5-6 wide recievers each season. Jefferson, Addison, Jennings, and Felton appear to be locks to make the roster. That only leaves 2 spots open to make the team. If Dillon Bell is able to make the roster or practice squad in 2026, he will have an opportunity to develop and potentially become a rotational asset for the Vikings.
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