Despite signing the veteran wide receiver trio of Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell and Terrace Marshall Jr., the Miami Dolphins smartly realized that they still needed help at the position.
With that knowledge, the Dolphins took a trio of wideouts in the 2026 NFL draft, including Louisville’s Chris Bell in the third round.
What is Miami getting in Bell? Eric Galko, the director of football operations for the East-West Shrine Bowl, believes they’re getting first-round value and even compared the rookie to a three-time Pro Bowler.
“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 told the “Miami Herald” recently. “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 spent four years at Louisville, earning All-ACC honors once (2025). In 47 games with the Cardinals, he caught 151 passes for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns. He tore his ACL 11 games into the 2025 season, which caused his drop to the third round.
Brown, a three-time All-Pro and a Super Bowl champion, has caught 524 passes for 8,029 yards and 56 touchdowns in his seven seasons split between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans. If Bell has that start to his career in South Florida, the Dolphins would be ecstatic.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins third-round pick draws comparison to three-time Pro Bowler
Reporting by Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
