The 2026 NFL Combine is currently in action, and the Louisville Cardinals have two wide receivers in attendance. This prestigious event gives these players opportunities to showcase their skills and try to raise their draft stock right before the NFL Draft in April.
Louisville football has Caullin Lacy and Chris Bell participating at the combine, and while Bell isn’t able to run routes or do any of the physical parts of the NFL Combine, he made himself available for interviews. The former star wide receiver for Jeff Brohm answered questions on Friday, and he sent a loud message on why teams should draft him.
Related: Chris Bell’s fiery NFL Combine message should have NFL teams paying attention
Chris Bell compares his game to AJ Brown, Julio Jones, and more
Bell was trending to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but he suffered a torn ACL against SMU in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Bell still had a dominant season, and he is now floating around the first round, but many NFL analysts have him picked in the second round.
With Bell possibly falling to the second round, he made it perfectly clear he is open to teaming up with Shough in New Orleans. Bell told the media on Friday that Shough has been telling the Saints about the 6-foot-2, 225-pound wide receiver, and Bell stated it would be “great to reunite with Tyler Shough.”
The former Cardinal receiver had one of the best seasons in college football last year from a wide receiver, and when he compared himself to former and current wide receivers, the Saints should raise their eyebrows and start to listen to Shough on why they should draft him.
“I’d compare my game to AJ Brown, Deebo Samuel, Julio Jones, and DK Metcalf,” Bell stated on Friday. “I try and kind of take some of their game and put it in mine.”
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound wide receiver has been hearing comparisons to AJ Brown since August of 2025, and after his dominant 2025 season, many see why now. Bell is bigger and more physical than many of these cornerbacks, but he has lightning-quick speed that allows him to breakfree and make chunk plays once the ball is in his hands.
Last season, Bell took many games, including against Pitt (10 catches for 135 receiving yards and 1 touchdown), Virginia (12 catches for 170 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns), and Miami (9 catches for 136 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns). He finished the season with 72 receptions for 917 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns, and he is now ranked as a top receiver on Mel Kiper’s big board.
When Shough and Bell played together, Shough was the 13th Cardinal in program history to throw for over 3,000 yards and was picked by New Orleans in the second round at No. 40 overall. Bell went on to earn 43 catches for 737 receiving yards and four touchdowns when Shough was slinging the ball in 2024, and now the two are trying to reunite at the NFL level.
Louisville fans would love to see these two former teammates play together in New Orleans, but only time will tell, as the NFL Draft is on April 23 and goes until April 26.
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