The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a month away and the Philadelphia Eagles are a team that could be in the market for a wide receiver. The Eagles could part ways with veteran wideout A.J. Brown before or after the draft. Even if Philly decides to stick it out with AJB, the team needs to add more depth at receiver.
Matt Harmon was joined by Underdog’s Josh Norris to discuss the idea of the Eagles selecting Louisville WR Chris Bell at some point in the draft as a developmental piece to add to the receiving corps on the latest episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast.
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Norris points to Bell as a player who is a bit “rough around the edges” and could stir the pot a bit at the next level. But he possesses elite athleticism, good size and a solid comp level. Bell ripped off a 64-yard TD against JMU early in 2025 but also scored twice against Miami late in the season, so he can post production against anyone.
Norris isn’t saying that Bell will turn into Brown but he sees obvious comparisons to the two players, and thinks Brown’s rookie season in Tennessee is a good marker. That season, AJB posted 52 catches for over 1,000 yards and eight scores in 2019, finishing third in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Harmon loves comparing these WR types and while Bell could be the next AJB, he also could be the next Treylon Burks or Xavier Legette. Both those receivers went in the first round but have been widely disappointing in the NFL for their respective teams.
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Will Bell end up in Philly as a Brown replacement? We’ll have to wait and see when teams get on the clock in late April.
Yahoo analyst Justin Boone has Bell ranked 16th among incoming rookies for dynasty fantasy football leagues. Boone has Bell as his WR9 in what is viewed as a deep receiver class in 2026.
