One of the more intriguing prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft cla s is Louisville wide receiver Jamari Sharpe Jersey Chris Bell. Bell entered the year with some hype, but there was a significant gap between the ACC standout and the three receivers -- Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, and Makai Lemon -- that defined the cla s. His production stood out in 2025, and paired with an imposing athletic profile, first-round whispers ramped up before the end of the year. However, a late-season ACL tear largely put those to bed, shrouding his profile in uncertainty. Answering questions about that ACL, his return to action, and his potential rookie-year impact will be key in salvaging his stock. Five weeks ahead of draft day, it looks like he's doing just that. Chris Bell injury update Needle s to say, postseason surgery ruled out Combine and pro day festivities. For a player reliant on his athleticism to make an impact, that leaves a big box unchecked. According to , Bell is recovering ahead of his projected timeline, giving teams a reason to give him a longer look at the turn of the first round. "Louisville WR Chris Bell, who was widely considered a top-20 pick before suffering an ACL injury in November, is progre sing ahead of schedule and is now running and jumping," Schultz posted. "Teams are intrigued by his unique skill set at 62.5, 225 lbs, and in-game GPS tracked him at low 4.3 speed in full pads." That speed makes Bell a multi-level threat, and his frame makes him a prototypical X receiver. We've seen this profile before, turning in outcomes as wide as Xavier Legette and A.J. Brown. If he's a top-50 pick, he'll be expected to trend much closer to the latter. Providing value from the jump, rather than a delayed debut, is part of that equation. Heres a video of Louisville WR Chris Bell from three weeks ago: Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) While it would still be a little surprising to see Bell hear his name called in Round 1, it only takes one team to fall in love. Late on that Thursday night, teams like the , , and make some amount of sense. Each can use a new starter on the boundary, and Bell's floor as a sacrificial X receiver helps mitigate some of the risk factors. Thus, it remains quite po sible that Bell is one of the first five or so receivers taken in April, even in a relatively crowded cla s. "Bell already has visits scheduled with 13 teams (and has completed four) and is expected to be fully cleared by training camp, and chance of being first-round pick is still real," Schultz added. MORE: Bell has some of the best burst this receiving cla s has to offer, giving teams a path to manufactured touches and the ability to threaten defenses downfield. His catch point prowe s makes him a threat in the red zone, too, and he's happy to try and win above the rim to haul in deep pa ses. There is work to be done in the intermediate parts of the field. He runs a strong cro sing route -- a testament to his raw speed -- but isn't as nuanced a separator as, say, Lemon or KC Concepcion. He's a pick-your-flavor prospect for teams with a higher risk tolerance, and the injury only added to that skepticism. Beating the timeline, though, is an encouraging sign that Bell will be back with an unencumbered rookie season with all the dynamism that made him a promising prospect. I'll likely keep him as an early-second-round prospect on my board, but stopping his fall is as important as gaining ground this late in the proce s. More NFL Draft news Stephen Daley Jersey