Widely expected by draft analysts and experts to be a Day 2 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Huskies' All-American wide receiver now finds himself waiting for Day 3 on Saturday.
UConn All-American wide receiver Skyler Bell must wait until Saturday afternoon to learn his next home.
Surprisingly, Bell went unselected Friday night on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Numerous draft analysts had projected Bell would be selected on the second night of the annual event, which started Thursday night with the first round.
Friday night accounted for 68 picks in the second and third rounds. With the first round consisting of 32 players, 100 now are off the board.
Bell moved up teams' draft lists with his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis two months ago. Based on pre-draft analysis, Bell not being selected is a surprise.
Rounds 4 through 7 of the draft will occur Saturday. Start time is noon ET and will be televised by NFL Network, ABC and ESPN.
Recalling the combine
Bell, a native of the Bronx, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.53 seconds. His vertical jump was 41 inches, with a broad jump of 11 feet and 1 inch.
The top 40 time for a wide receiver was 4.26 by Brenen Thompson of Mississippi State.
ESPN, in its review of the combine, called Bell one of the “biggest risers” of the event. Here’s what ESPN’s Jordan Reid had to say:
“After Bell participated in only one practice at the Shrine Bowl, many were anticipating Bell's test numbers. At 6-foot, 192 pounds, he caught my eye throughout his workout. In running a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and leaping 41 inches in the vertical, Bell showed that he belongs in the Day 2 [of the draft] picture. He followed with an impressive showing during on-field drills. His routes were crisp, and he constantly showed how strong his hands were. The most impressive part of Bell's workout came during the gauntlet, as he ran through it with speed and caught the ball cleanly.”
While the analysis of Bell likely was correct, teams always move names on the board to find a player who best fits their scheme.
In all, 17 wide receivers were selected in the first three rounds.
Bell at UConn
Bell played his high school football at the Taft School in Watertown, Conn., and earned a 3-star ranking from 247Sports. He was listed as the No. 124 wide receiver in the Class of 2021.
By 2025, he had evolved into one of the top receivers in the nation.
He spent a redshirt freshman season at Wisconsin in 2021, then played in 2022 and 2023 for the Badgers. He had an offer from UConn in 2020, and when he decided to enter the transfer portal, he wound up back in familiar territory in Connecticut with the Huskies.
As a redshirt junior in 2024, Bell played in all 13 games and led the team with 860 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He finished the season with four 100-yard games.
In 2025, Bell and quarterback Joe Fagnano were an efficient pair, to say the least.
Bell caught 101 passes (third in FBS) for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns, both second in FBS. He totaled 100 yards in seven games, including an eight-catch, 149-yard day with three touchdowns on Nov. 1 in a 38-19 win against UAB.
In December, Bell became the first player in the history of the Huskies football program to be named a first-team Associated Press All-American. Joining him as first-team receivers were Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Makai Lemon of Southern California.
Smith is a junior and will be returning to the Buckeyes this fall. Lemon was selected in the first round with the No. 20 overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bell also was a finalist for the 2025 Biletnikoff Award.
Join the Conversation
Remember to join our UCONN on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Huskies fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!