LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Over the course of the Louisville football program’s storied history they have produced 16 first round NFL Draft picks. 10 of them came this millennium, and seven have come since the 2014 iteration of the draft.<\/p>\n
However, it’s been six years since the Cardinals produced a first rounder, with offensive lineman Mekhi Becton being the last one back in 2020. Quarterback Tyler Shough came close last year, going No. 40 overall to the New Orleans Saints.<\/p>\n
Louisville may not wind up with many players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft this April, but what they do have is someone who could threaten to break the streak and go in the first round in Chris Bell. But how does he compare to other wide receivers in this draft class, as well as others who could potentially go in the first round?<\/p>\n
For starters, Bell has a great amount of collegiate production. Playing all four years at Louisville, he finished with 151 receptions for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns, with the reception and yardage totals good for 12th and 13th, respectively, in program history.<\/p>\n
He also made steady improvements in each year in college, culminating in a senior year that made him one of the best wide receivers in the ACC. Bell logged 72 receptions for 917 yards and six touchdowns, earning First-Team All-ACC Honors, and also being a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.<\/p>\n
Bell also has some incredible athletic intangibles. Measuring as 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he’s one of the more physically imposing prospects among high-end wide receiver prospects, which is certain evident when he is playing.<\/p>\n
Additionally, he couples that with blazing fast speed. If he were to run the 40-Yard Dash at the NFL Combine, Reel Analytics projected that it would fall in the 4.35-4.39 range. Not only was this the seventh-fastest projection<\/a> among receivers, it was the 10th-fastest projection<\/a> among all combine participants.<\/p>\n However, there is one massive red flag that NFL scouts and executives will be forced to take into consideration. In Louisville’s final road game of the season against SMU, Bell tore his ACL, sidelining him for the regular season finale against Kentucky and Boca Raton Bowl vs. Toledo.<\/p>\n Of course, even pre-ACL tear, Bell isn’t a perfect prospect. While his is uber athletic and is great on contested catches, some draft pundits have been critical of his lateral footwork when breaking on routes, and inconsistencies against the press.<\/p>\n So what is Bell’s draft standing now?<\/p>\n Pre-ACL tear, Bell was absolutely someone who was trending to be a first round pick<\/a>, and maybe even someone who could throw their hat into the ring for WR1. But post-injury, guys like USC’s Makai Lemon, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Texas A&M’s K.C. Conception, Washington’s Denzel Boston and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson started gaining traction as the top receivers in this draft class.<\/p>\n Currently, Bell is ranked as the No. 10 wide receiver and No. 52 prospect overall in the draft class according to the 2026 Consensus Big Board, which aggregates data from over 100 published big boards. In mock drafts released this past week, Draft Sharks’ Shane Hallam<\/a> had Bell go No. 48 overall to the Atlanta Falcons, While Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman<\/a> and Athlon Sports’ Luke Easterling<\/a> have him going No. 45 overall to the Baltimore Ravens.<\/p>\n Once upon a time, Bell certainly seemed to be trending towards being a first round pick. But right now, he is projected to be an early\/mid second round pick, and even that could change depending on how other receivers perform at the NFL Combine.<\/p>\n More Cardinals Stories<\/p>\n (Photo of Chris Bell: Sam Navarro – Imagn Images)<\/p>\n You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter\/X and Instagram:<\/p>\n Facebook – @LouisvilleOnSI<\/a> You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic<\/a> on Twitter\/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social<\/a> on Bluesky<\/p>\n
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