The NFL Combine is currently in full swing as 319 players were invited to Indianapolis, Ind., to try and raise their draft stock for the 2026 NFL Draft. Louisville football has two players representing the Cardinals this year, as star wide receivers Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy were the only Cards invited to the Combine.
Louisville hasn’t had a player drafted in the first round since 2020, when offensive lineman Mekhi Becton was drafted No. 11 overall to the New York Jets. While Lacy has impressed many with his speed, he is likely to fall later in the draft, but Bell was trending toward a late first-round pick before his injury.
Bell tore his ACL late in the season, which caused him to miss the final two games of the season for Louisville, but the star wide receiver just sent a strong message that this injury shouldn’t be the reason teams don’t draft him.
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Louisville’s Chris Bell delivers confident message at NFL Combine
Today, Bell and other wide receivers were available to the media for questions and interviews. The former Cardinal was asked a lot of questions about how he feels after tearing his ACL, and while he gave a good update that rehab is going well and that he will start running again next week, his message to NFL teams stole the show.
“Don’t let this injury fool you,” Bell stated today at the NFL Combine. “I’m still that dog, I’m still that guy. I’m still that beast you see on the field, just give me time, and I’ll be back right.”
Bell’s fiery message is one that Louisville fans and NFL coaches should love. Before his injury, many had him going in the first round and pairing him up with Drake Maye in New England. After this injury, he is still projected to be in the 40’s and in the second round, but Bell is here to tell these NFL teams he has been overlooked his entire career, and don’t let this injury fool them.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound wide receiver is an elite playmaker on the outside who plays physical like AJ Brown but has the speed of Deebo Samuel. He led Louisville in catches and yards last season with 72 catches for 917 yards and six receiving touchdowns.
Bell is still ranked as a top wide receiver in Mel Kiper’s NFL Draft big board, as he had a dominant career with Louisville. The star wide receiver finished in the top 15 for most receiving yards and total catches in program history after he collected 151 receptions for 2,166 yards
The NFL Draft is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 23, to Saturday, April 25, 2026.
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For all the latest recruiting news and updates for Louisville football, stay tuned.