Chris Bell NFL Draft Profile - Rookie Film Analysis

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. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Film Profile | Analytical Profile

Prospect Information

College: Louisville
Height/Weight: 6'2"/222
Hands: 10"
Age: 22 (at the time of the 2026 season opener)

Important NFL Combine/Pro Day Numbers

40-Yard Dash: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A

College Production (Stats)

**Profiles similar to:**Treylon Burks

Plays similar to: Quincy Enunwa

Position-Specific Attributes and Grades

Note: my usual format (citing examples for each attribute) does not display well on the site. Please click this link to access them.

Positives

• Imposing perimeter receiver at 220-plus pounds who knows how to use his body to shield off defenders and win in the short and intermediate parts of the field.
• Lacks the twitchiness to create much separation early but is hard to catch once he has had an opportunity to build up speed.
• No hesitation about working over the middle of the field.
• Poor quarterback play did him no favors on downfield throws in 2025, as he exhibited strong tracking and contested-catch skills in the rare instance he was given a realistic chance to make a play; he has a real chance to become a very good back-shoulder receiver in the NFL.
• Production and drop rate improved significantly in each of his four seasons - the latter of which fell to 4.0% in his final year.
• Has the size to be a very good blocker and occasionally flashes his potential in that area.

Negatives

• Suffered a torn ACL on Nov. 22.
• Was not asked to run much more than hitches, crossers and slants in 2025.
• Does not break enough tackles (nine on 72 catches in 2025) or produce the yards after catch that one might expect from such a strong receiver.
• Occasionally flashes some fancy footwork and twitchiness initially, but he tends to get held up too long when he is contacted at the line of scrimmage.
• As is usually the case with bigger receivers, he does not show much explosion in or out of breaks and rounds off his routes, which makes it hard for him to create real separation.
• Inconsistent effort as a blocker too often.

Bottom Line

If not for his pre-Thanksgiving knee injury, the conversation regarding Bell would be considerably different. As it stands right now, interested teams will have to assess how willing they are to potentially write off 2026 as a redshirt year of sorts for him. The pre-injury version was dominant when he was allowed to be dominant. Opponents knew they had to stop him and quite often could not (posted 31 catches for 441 yards and five touchdowns during the team's toughest three-game stretch of the 2025 season, including 9-136-2 in a win against national championship runner-up Miami). Although there are some notable differences, it is not hard to see some of what made Brandon Marshall special a few years ago. Two of the ways they are similar are that both men move well at 220-plus pounds and understand how to use their size to their advantage in the short and intermediate passing game. Bell was exceptional on the few occasions that quarterback Miller Moss threw to his back shoulder. He may have been at his best when he got a chance to build up a head of steam on a crossing route. It is at this point that some of his track background takes over and he can put his size to good use.

Bell's relatively low film grade has more to do with not being able to assume certain things about what he can or cannot do. For example, he only caught four of 11 deep (20-plus yards) targets. At least a few of the incompletions fell on Moss' shoulders. While the player usually deserves some blame for what he does not do well, it seems clear that one area where the coaching staff let him down was relying more on the scheme as opposed to teaching him how to defeat press coverage more consistently. (Bell is too strong to let college corners slow him down at the line of scrimmage.) He was also probably used too much inside on short routes (1-9 yards) and not enough on intermediate routes (63 short targets versus 28 intermediate). More intermediate routes would force cornerbacks and safeties to tackle him more often. The most disappointing thing about Bell was the consistency of his blocking; with his strength, he should maul defensive backs regularly. An ACL injury is never a good thing, but a redshirt season to work on some of the aforementioned weaker points of his game may be just what the doctor ordered because most of these can be improved with repetition. In the right environment, it is conceivable - although probably not all that likely - that Bell turns into a No. 1 receiver once he is fully healthy.

This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Chris Bell NFL Draft Profile - Rookie Film Analysis