After the Miami Dolphins released All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos, they were left without a proven top receiving option for new quarterback Malik Willis.
The team added some veterans with starting experience like Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell and Terrance Marshall. However, the Dolphins may have added the best player of the group in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he may have come at a discount.
With one of Miami’s third round picks, the Dolphins drafted Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell, who is already drawing comparisons to three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Drawing Pro Bowl Comparison
Eric Galko, the director of football operations for the East-West Shrine Bowl spoke with the Miami Herald on the type of player Bell is. Galko said, “If he doesn’t get hurt in November, he’s a first-round pick. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being the Dolphins’ best receiver by the second half of the season.”
Galko added, “He’s AJ Brown. He’s locked in on his rehab. I got a chance to get to know him; he’s a good person with a really impressive background. He’s self-confident but also a guy who can stay in the background. To get him in the third round, I can imagine how happy they were.”
Bell was in the middle of the best season of his college football career before a late-season ACL tear ended his season. In 11 games for Louisville, Bell posted an impressive 917 receiving yards with six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Brown, who may find himself in the AFC East soon as a member of the Patriots, has posted 1,000-yard seasons in six of his seven years in the NFL.
If Bell develops into a player similar to Brown, the Dolphins could have found a steal in the third round.
Chris Bell Player Profile
Galko is not alone in feeling Miami obtained good value by landing Bell in the third round. The Ringer’s Todd McShay, who also compared Bell to Brown, ranked Bell as the No. 55 overall prospect and No. 9 wide receiver in the class. McShay wrote of Bell:
“Bell is a physically gifted, big-play receiver whose traits and flashes of production contrast sharply with his rawness and inconsistency, making him a true boom-or-bust prospect. A four-year player at Louisville, he showed steady statistical growth, culminating in 917 yards in just 11 games in 2025 before a late-season ACL tear (which clouds his availability for the start of his rookie year).
At his best, Bell looks the part: He’s got a strong build, big hands, impressive body control, and real run-after-the-catch explosiveness with a noticeable second gear. He catches cleanly and transitions smoothly upfield, showing strength through contact and the ability to create chunk plays. His hands improved in 2025 (just three drops), though his contested-catch success (50 percent) doesn’t fully match his physical profile.”
Regarding his comparison to Brown, McShay added:
“Bell is a top-40 talent physically, with some legit shades of A.J. Brown. Similar to Brown coming out of college, Bell is an unrefined route runner, and some of his tape shows underwhelming attention to detail and blocking.”
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