The NFL 2026 Draft is just around the corner, as the draft process is beginning to ramp up. The draft is set to take place in Pittsburgh, Pa., from April 23-25, and just this morning, the players for the 2026 NFL scouting combine were announced.
The NFL invited 319 players to the NFL Combine, which is set to take place in two weeks, from February 23 through March 2, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Louisville football posted its second straight 9-4 season, and after winning another nine games under Jeff Brohm, two Cardinals playmakers earned an invitation to the 2026 NFL Combine.
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Two Louisville football players invited to the 2026 NFL combine
Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy are the two Cardinals who will represent the University of Louisville in Indianapolis. The two star wide receivers will have a massive opportunity to try and raise their NFL Draft stock with just about two more months until the draft takes place in Pittsburgh.
Lacy has already begun to impress many NFL draft scouts, as he was the lone Cardinal to play in the Senior Bowl. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound wide receiver showcased his impressive speed and first step as he was dominant in 1-on-1 drills at the goal line. Before Lacy’s time with Louisville, he showed how elite he can be as a deep-ball threat, logging 65 catches for 813 yards and six touchdowns in 2022 and 91 catches for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.
The former Cardinal played two seasons with Louisville, but only one full season, as he suffered an injury in 2024, keeping him on the sidelines for most of the year. Lacy finished his Louisville career with a combined 78 catches for 831 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns, including 60 catches for 635 yards and two touchdowns in the 2025 season.
Lacy is more than just a wide receiver, though, as his speed makes him a dominant special teams player. Last season, the Cardinals' star special teams returner ranked No. 3 in college football with 20.0 yards per return. He was also just one of five players to take back two punt returns for a touchdown, and logged 25 punt returns for 454 yards. He was a kick returner for Louisville, earning 12 kickoffs for 251 yards.
As for Bell, he entered the 2025 season with high expectations, being labeled as one of the biggest hidden gems in college football and as a game-changer. He went on to being compared to AJ Brown before the season even started, and while his season was cut short with a torn ACL, Bell left no doubt that he is one of the best wide receivers in this draft.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound wide receiver logged a team high 72 catches for 917 yards and six receiving touchdowns, despite not playing in the final two games of the season. Bell was trending toward a first-round pick before he tore his ACL, but now, with him likely to miss a significant amount of time, his NFL Draft stock has dropped. That said, Bell comes in ranked No. 10 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s big board.
Bell went on to finish top 15 in Cardinals history for receiving yards and catches as he ended his Louisville career with 151 catches and 2,166 receiving yards.