With the NFL gearing up for the 2026 NFL Draft, all everyone wants to know about the Philadelphia Eagles is if A.J. Brown will be a member of the team when the season starts. While that remains unclear, a potential Brown replacement has already been identified in the draft for the Eagles. That player is Louisville receiver Chris Bell, who many draft analysts have compared to Brown.
While Bell would be a good addition for Philadelphia, whether the team trades Brown or not, it’s becoming clear that the Eagles have a slim chance of landing him. Draft analyst Mike Luciano recently ranked Bell as the 40th-overall prospect on FanSided’s 2026 Big Board. That’s a problem for Philly because after the team’s 23rd-overall pick, the Eagles aren’t on the board again until pick No. 54.
"Bell is going to immediately turn some scouts off due to his lack of a professional route tree, and that's even before considering his serious ACL injury. Perhaps they can be won over when they see how he runs like a powerful running back after a catch."Mike Luciano (FanSided)
If Bell goes in the range of his 40th-overall prospect ranking, Philadelphia could miss out on him.
Chris Bell’s ranking in FanSided’s Big Board could mean he’s out of the Eagles’ range
Bell, a 6-foot-2, 222-pound receiver with speed, was initially projected to be a first-round wide receiver. However, the wideout tore his ACL in November, which is expected to push him out of the first round. Still, the 151 receptions for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns he posted in 47 college games will intrigue several teams to go after Bell on day two of the draft.
Philadelphia is certainly one of those teams, but the path to the receiver may not be simple. The Eagles have the 22nd pick of the second round, which means there are plenty of teams that could prevent Bell from making it to Philadelphia at pick 54. That’s especially the case considering the value of receivers in today’s NFL, and how many wideouts are expected to come off the board in round one.
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So if the Eagles want to land Chris Bell, they will either have to trade up to ensure they can select him, or Philadelphia will just have to nervously sit on its hands and hope the talented receiver falls to them.
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