Skyler Bell, a 6’0 192 lb receiver in the 2026 NFL draft from the University of Connecticut, grew up in the Bronx, New York, and would eventually attend The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. Establishing himself as one of Connecticut’s better recruits in the class of 2021, Bell, the consensus three-star recruit, would head to the Big 10 to play for the University of Wisconsin. After a redshirt freshman season, Bell would quickly establish himself as a key contributor, posting 30 catches for 444 yards and 5 touchdowns, averaging an explosive 14.8 yards per catch. In his third and final year as a Badger, Bell’s production would drop, hauling in 8 fewer catches than the year prior for only 296 yards and only 1 touchdown. That offseason, Bell would make his return to Ct. to play for Jim Mora Jr. and the UConn Huskies, he would make an immediate impact bringing in 50 receptions for 860 yards and 5 touchdowns at 17.2 yards per catch, all career highs at that point. After his impressive redshirt junior year that established him as the Huskies unquestioned number one receiver, Bell would explode in 2025 with 101 receptions for 1278 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning himself second team all-american honors as well as a finalist spot for the prestigious Bilitnekoff Trophy.
Skyler Bell stands at 6’0 192 pounds with a sturdy and defined build, his lower half is extremely explosive with elite vertical, 4.40 speed, and quick, twitch feet. His combine performance placed him in the upper echelon of this receiver draft, with a 9.71 Relative Athletic Score that graded his composite speed and explosiveness as elite. His burst and speed is evident on the field as is his coordination, he is a smooth operator who is quick and clean in and out of breaks with buttery acceleration and deceleration. Bell has below-average 31 ⅛ inch arms, but mitigated that issue at UConn with a 41-inch vertical and 10-inch hands that allowed him to make impressive aerial catches. Overall, Bell’s Relative Athletic Score placed him in the 97th percentile of all receivers graded since 1987. Bell is a smaller receiver but plays with the mentality of a 6 ‘3 X-receiver. He competes for every ball thrown his way and is a battler after the catch. Bell’s mental makeup is more than just mentality; he has an exceptional feel for the game and zone coverage that I will touch on later.
As a route runner Bell possesses a quick and explosive get off with a creative and extensive release package that he uses to shake defenders, Bell can be difficult to get hands on in press coverage due to his explosiveness but due to his smaller frame he can be slowed when DBs are able to engage physically around the line of scrimmage. Bell is excellent at finding open areas in zone and settling in, he is not afraid to alter his route plan because of looks and his improvisation has led to big plays for the Huskies. He runs an extensive and complete route tree and has positional versatility to win from the inside or from the outside. He is smooth and explosive in and out of his breaks with little wasted movement and outstanding acceleration/deceleration abilities. He has an outstanding outside go route where he uses his body to box the DB towards the center of the field before fading towards the sideline slightly to clear space on an otherwise elementary route, this is one of many examples of how he displays nuance and creativity to create space. The main gripe with Bell’s route running ability lies within over-improvisation, he can take too long selling his routes and throw off timing.
Bell’s hands present both one of his greatest strengths and weaknesses, over the first four years of his career, he struggled immensely with drops, however the 2025 season showed improved consistency despite the immense jump in targets comparatively to the rest of his career. 50/50 balls were a strength for Bell this year, outside of the strong vertical and body control he showcased exceptional ball tracking ability and strong hands that were able to finish through contact in traffic. Bell has a limited catch radius but displays incredible effort when attacking the football and pairs great vertical explosiveness with 10 inch mitts for hands. He shows a legitimate ability to make one handed and circus catches that have a tendency to come at big moments for the Huskies. In 2025 while drops were few, he showed some signs of his past ways concerning concentration drops, often the easiest catches for Bell appeared the most difficult getting ahead of himself and hunting for YAC before the ball had been fully secured.
As a blocker, Bell is very raw and will require a lot of work at the NFL level, despite being competitive and tenacious in his effort, his technique needs immense refinement. Bell blocks high and upright, hurting his leverage and anchor ability. He also has a tendency to lead with a forearm with the intention to deliver a hit rather than a sustained block with locked in and anchored hands. Bell’s lack of size also presents difficulty in block sustenance and forward push.
After the catch Skyler Bell is a dangerous weapon, his lower body explosiveness allows him to elude defenders with deceiving power to break tackles, he also shows quick, elusive feet and the ability to make one or multiple men miss, UConn used Bell heavily in the screen game in 2025 allowing him to create his own yardage, something he did at a high level. Bell also has the ability to turn up the field quickly and explode to full speed coming off of short routes, such as slants, and turning them into 50-yard touchdowns.
Bell is an exciting wide receiver prospect with explosive athleticism, inside-outside versatility, and advanced route running that should allow him to be an early contributor to whatever team selects him in the 2026 NFL draft, but questions regarding his age as a 24 year old prospect, size, and difficulty of competition at a G5 program will cause concerns that limit his draft position to NFL scouts.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit: San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers
All three listed teams are in need of an instant impact receiver that can be a top-three target on their team as a rookie. They all value motion, creativity, versatility, and the ability to create after the catch.
NFL Player Comp: Khalil Shakir
Another smooth route runner with an almost identical physical profile and the ability to create after the catch, the projection as a quality NFL starter that can line up inside or out checks out with both Shakir and Bell
Projection: League Average Starter
Bell has the makeup of a quality NFL player, but may be limited by his size and inconsistent hands.
Grade and Round Projection: 4.57, Round 2 Pick
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