Dolphins 2026 Third-Round Pick to Make His Practice Debut
The Miami Dolphins are getting some reinforcements in the wide receiver room, with third-round rookie Chris Bell activated from the active/non-football injury list early Monday morning. The six-foot-two, 220-pound wideout out of Louisville was taken by the Dolphins with the 94th overall pick, which, from a talent standpoint, felt like a steal. Going back to the 2025 college football season, Bell was a potential first-round talent before a torn ACL on Nov. 22nd against SMU. The former Cardinal standout really took off in his senior season at Louisville, recording career highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns. Now with the 22-year-old wideout set to make his Dolphins’ debut on the practice field this week, fans will get the chance to see Bell alongside standout rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas.
Where Could Chris Bell Fit in the Dolphins’ Wide Receiver Room?
In 2025, the Mississippi native played a large majority of his snaps as a boundary wide receiver, with over 80 percent of his snaps coming from the outside. That makes sense, considering he’s built more like a linebacker than a stereotypical wide receiver. Just think the total opposite of DeVonta Smith coming out of Alabama. Bell doesn’t have the flatline speed that Douglas did coming out of Texas Tech, but he uses his frame very well in contested catch and run-after-the-catch situations. Almost half of his receiving yards in 2025 with Louisville came after the catch, and that ability was on full display during the Cardinals’ upset win over the Miami Hurricanes.
I think his role will stay the same in Miami, at the very least in year one. Both Malik Washington and fifth-round rookie Kevin Coleman have the slot spot locked down for now, and Miami lacks any locks on the boundary outside of Douglas. Both Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert haven’t impressed in their first action with the Dolphins, so there’s a chance that Bell could take over a starting role by the time Miami takes the trip out west to Las Vegas in Week One. Although head coach Jeff Hafley made it clear that it was not a priority to force Bell back into the lineup any faster than needed, mostly because his addition into the wide receiver room isn’t going to be a needle-mover right out of the gates. Still, with the Louisville product back in the lineup and set to make his practice debut, it’ll be exciting to see both rookies on the field during the Dolphins’ joint practice and preseason game against the New York Giants later this week.
