Following the release of Stefon Diggs and free agency addition of Romeo Doubs this offseason, the future of the New England Patriots wide receiver position remains unclear. Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins are all entering the final year of their contracts, while Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III have more to prove entering their sophomore seasons.
Because of all that, the Patriots might be in the market for more receiver help in this year’s draft. And if so, Louisville’s Chris Bell is a player to keep an eye on.
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Hard facts
Name: Chris Bell
Position: Wide receiver
School: Louisville (Sr.)
Opening day age: 22 (6/7/2004)
Measurements: 6’2”, 222 lbs, 31 3/4” arm length, 10” hand size, N/A Relative Athletic Score
Experience
College: University of Louisville (2022-25)
Career statistics: 47 games (24 starts) | 2,037 offensive snaps, 243 teams snaps | 223 targets, 151 receptions (67.7%), 2,166 receiving yards (14.3/catch), 12 TDs, 13 drops | 2 carries, 43 rushing yards (21.5/rush) | 6 kick returns, 77 yards (12.8/return) | 17 penalties
Accolades: First-team All-ACC (2025)
A three-star wide receiver recruit and track runner in high school, Bell signed on to play for the Louisville Cardinals. He saw minimal action over his freshman season as he recorded seven catches for 105 yards but worked up the receiver rotation as a sophomore en route to catching 26 passes for 386 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Bell went on to then start all 13 games for the Cardinals in 2024 and finished with 43 receptions for 737 yards and four touchdowns.
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As a senior, Bell posted a career-year earning first-team All-ACC honors after finishing with career-highs in receptions (72), receiving yards (917) and touchdowns (6). Bell was named ACC Receiver of the Week three straight times — including in a dominant 136-yard performance against the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes — and was named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
In the second-to-last game of the regular season, however, Bell suffered an ACL tear which prohibited him from testing or working out at the NFL Combine and his Pro Day ahead of the NFL Draft.
Draft profile
Projected round: 2 | Consensus big board: No. 53 | Patriots meeting: N/A
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Strengths: Bell is a sturdy wide receiver at 6-foot-2, 222 pounds but does not move like someone you would expect to at that size. He is a freakish athlete who eats up yards after catch and eliminates defensive back’s angles with a combination of power, speed, and elusiveness — all seen in his performance vs. Miami.
With his size, Bell also finished his collegiate career with a 60% contested catch rate and showed the ability to track and climb the ladder highlighted by a ridiculous stab against SMU.
Weaknesses: The biggest red flag when it currently comes to Bell is the November ACL tear. A return for training camp remains his goal, but that would still sideline him for key parts of the offseason program as a rookie. And while players largely return strongly from ACL tears these days — something New England saw first-hand with Stefon Diggs — it is a noteworthy injury for a player whose game is built around his explosiveness.
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Back on the field, players built like Bell are rarely top-tier route runners at the position. He’s shown the ability to separate downfield on go routes and working back to the ball on hitches, but did not run a full route tree at Louisville. Bell will need continued development at the top of his routes as he was near the top of the draft class in contested targets last season even after missing multiple games.
Patriots preview
What would be his role? Bell’s role as a rookie will first be determined by how quickly he can return to the field in his ACL rehab. When healthy, teams will be smart to take advantage of his YAC ability — running him on drags, slants, crossers, etc. to get the ball in his hands — while he continues to develop the rest of his game.
Does he have positional versatility? During his two seasons as a starter at Louisville, Bell took the majority of his snaps out wide — spending most of the 2024 season on the left side of the field before aligning primarily on the right in 2025. His size will allow him to continue to play outside in the NFL but teams may also use him as a power slot at times in order to get the ball in his hands on those aforementioned underneath routes. Bell’s explosiveness could also be a factor as a kick returner, something he did briefly at Louisville (six returns).
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What is his growth potential? Bell showed improvement throughout last season in his first season under wide receiver coach Deion Branch, and his combination of size and speed leaves Bell with one of the highest ceilings at the position in this class. A popular comp for the 21-year old if things work out has been the 6-foot-1, 226 pound A.J. Brown. The other end of that spectrum could be Xavier Legette.
Why the Patriots? The Patriots need high-level upside at the wide receiver position and that is hard to find picking at the end of each round. Bell’s injury comes with a risk but also a potential value for a team like New England if he starts to slide, and the skillset is one that Mike Vrabel and the team likes considering their interest in and history with A.J. Brown.
Why not the Patriots? Bell’s medicals are the biggest holdup. New England might not be comfortable drafting him off a torn ACL while the injury could also affect his draft stock to make it difficult for the Patriots to select him between picks 31 and 62. They may also just opt to trade for A.J. Brown or address the position elsewhere in the draft to complete their current depth chart.
One-sentence verdict: If Bell slides on Day 2, his high upside at the receiver position should overcome the injury risk for a team like the Patriots.
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For more information about Chris Bell and the rest of this year’s class of prospects, please take a look at Adam’s 2026 NFL Draft Guide.
Also, what do you think about Bell as a potential Patriots target? Do you like him? Where would you pick him? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
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