Chris Bell, Louisville WR

Strengths

Athletic freak with an X receiver type of build. Particularly, the strength and short area quickness stand out the most.
Great contested catch ability.
Physical receiver.
Good hands.
Willing and able run blocker, and he seems to get excited about the opportunity to put someone in the dirt.

Concerns/Weaknesses

Not a good creator of separation in man coverage.
To quote my scouting notes: “This route tree is a crime.” The bulk of his production seems to come from shallow crossing routes, and then the only other consistent route is a straight line vert. You see a couple odds and ends throw in, but they are not run very well and some of them have really odd cadences from him.

Key Statistics / Notes
Receptions: 72
Yards: 917
College Dominator: 38.6%
Season ending ACL tear in November.

Summary

Bell fits into the category of a lot of recent players that have come out; these athletic/physical freaks with X receiver builds that have severely limited route trees. Projecting that is really hard, both in terms of draft capital and ceiling in the NFL. For me, these types of players always are a hand-in-glove fit for the top of day 3 where teams can take these homerun swings if they want a project over a potential rotational contributor. As such, Bell fits in there.

Tape Grade: RD 4/5 (6.25 - Raw/Traits Player)
NFL Position-Type: WR - Power Slot / Developmental X

2025 games watched: Pittsburgh, Miami, Clemson