The Browns hosted Chris Bell of the Louisville Cardinals for a visit.
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The Browns hosted Chris Bell of the Louisville Cardinals for a visit.
The Cleveland Browns are leaving no stone unturned in their search for wide receiver help, and Louisville’s Chris Bell is the latest prospect to get a closer look.
Bell is a 6-foot-2, 222-pound pass-catcher who checks almost every box teams covet in an outside receiver. His senior season was his best. Bell caught 72 passes for 917 yards and six touchdowns, earning First-Team All-ACC honors and a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist nod. In all, Bell caught 151 passes for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns during his four years at Louisville.
Bell’s draft stock took a hit late in the 2025 season when he tore his ACL against SMU. He will still not be fully recovered by the time the draft arrives, which means he was unable to test at the NFL Combine or hold a pro day workout.
That injury has cooled some of the pre-season buzz around Bell, who at one point looked like a potential first-round pick.
Chris Bell Unlikely to be Targeted by Browns in First Round
Bell isn’t projected among the first-round headliners like Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon or Omar Cooper, but he profiles as a strong Day 2 option for the Browns as they look to address wide receiver in the draft. Cleveland has already hosted visits with Tyson, Tate, and Lemon, signaling a clear intent to upgrade the position.
The Browns hold picks No. 6 and No. 24 in the first round, along with No. 39 in the second. If they use those first-round selections on a tackle and a top-tier receiver, Bell could emerge as a legitimate target at No. 39 — provided he’s still available and checks out medically in his recovery.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein highlighted Bell’s ability as a big, physical target.
“Bell’s scores frequently came as a move target across the hashes, where he was able to use impressive build-up speed to eliminate angles and outrun everyone in the secondary to the paint,” Zierlein said. “He’s average at eluding press and separating from tight man underneath. Improving his catch focus and positioning when contested will be critical. Bell lacks dynamic qualities and his ACL tear could impact his draft slotting, but he’s a big, physical target with room to improve. He has a chance to become an average WR2/3 in time.”
Browns Plan to Add More Weapons
Cleveland enters the draft with one of the most glaring receiver needs in the league. The Browns don’t have much proven past Jerry Jeudy, and even he took a significant step back in 2025. The team has to add at least one starting-level wideout in the draft, and may need to take two.
Jeudy finished last season with 50 catches for 602 yards and two touchdowns — a sharp drop from his Pro Bowl-caliber 2024 campaign in which he totaled 90 receptions and 1,229 yards. Cleveland’s receiver room combined for just 1,467 receiving yards — the worst in the NFL.
“I think we can add all across the offense to be honest,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said at the combine. “We’re really pleased with some of the younger players we have. Jerry [Jeudy] is gonna be a big part of it, and we’re pleased with Isaiah [Bond’s] rookie year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t add to the arsenal.”
The Browns brought in offensive-minded head coach Todd Monken to spark a turnaround. But the success of that vision hinges on giving him the right pieces to work with.