The Miami Dolphins took a swing on a wide receiver in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft, despite knowing that he was coming off of a serious knee injury that ended his 2025 season prematurely.
That wide receiver is Chris Bell, who played four years at Louisville and recorded 151 receptions for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns in 47 career games. His 2025 campaign (72 receptions for 917 yards and six scores) was strong enough to earn All-ACC honors.
Miami was able to grab Bell, who was considered a borderline first-round pick, at No. 94 overall, and while he landed on the non-football injury list when he reported for training camp last week, Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley has a positive update on Bell’s status on Tuesday.
“I think he’s in a really good place right now,” Hafley said. “We’ll see, but I don’t think it’s way off in the distance. I am excited with where he’s at. I can get a smirk on my face and have some optimism there. He’s worked really hard. Our training staff… have done a great job with him. I think he’s had a great summer. He’s in a good spot. You’re going to see him running around out there. He did the conditioning test today with the team, so we’ll see where it goes. As much as there’s an optimism, and I get excited about where he’s at, I think we also have to be careful, so we’ll continue to work through it.”
While Hafley couched his excitement a bit at the end, it seems that Bell should start ramping up soon. That likely means won’t remain on the NFI list through roster cuts, which would cost him multiple games in the regular season.
If Bell is playing the way he did at Louisville before the injury, he could be Malik Willis’ top target in 2026 and could blossom into a WR1 in the future.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins coach delivers positive update on injured rookie WR
Reporting by Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire | USA TODAY Network
