Chris Bell is Ahead of Schedule in ACL Rehab

Louisville wide receiver prospect Chris Bell (knee) is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered in November 2025. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Bell's agent and doctor told him that the NFL Draft prospect "is running 18+ MPH and ahead of schedule in rehab." This would seem to suggest that Bell might be ready for Week 1 of his rookie season in 2026. The ACL tear certainly impacted Bell's draft stock, but Rapoport said that he expects the 21-year-old to be a Day 2 pick (second or third round). Aggregate mock draft data from NFLMockDraftDatabase.com seems to agree, ranking Bell as the #55 prospect in this week's draft. He was a multi-season contributor at school, amassing 144 catches, 2,061 yards, and 12 touchdowns over the last three years (38 games). He's the #17 prospect and #9 wide receiver in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rookie rankings.

Source: Ian Rapoport