Bills Rookie WR Skyler Bell Will Likely Have Opportunity in 2026
Ross Johnston takes a look at reports out of the Bills Training Camp as they relate to Rookie Skylar Bell's position on the depth chart. Ross evaluates the potential for Bell to have an impact this year.
Video Transcript
Joe Buscaglia reported from Buffalo Bills training camp that rookie fourth-round wide receiver Skyler Bell out of UConn is just outside the top four receivers on this depth chart right now, the top four being DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer.
And I really don't think this is a big deal at all, but it is something intriguing for me in terms of what Skyler Bell could do in his rookie season with the Buffalo Bills.
First things first, I know in this tweet it says that's not a great look.
This is not a bad look at all.
Skyler Bell is a fourth-round rookie out of a small school, and these are more veteran players around him.
There's no problem with him early in camp being just outside of the top four in the receiver room.
But the big question I have off of this is, is there going to be opportunity for Skyler Bell to play and have significant contribution to this Bills team in 2026?
And I really think there will be.
One, looking at the obvious, Keon Coleman.
Keon Coleman has played in 26 games total in two seasons of NFL football, a lot of off-the-field issues, and it's really a make-or-break year for him.
If the same stuff starts to come up, easily Skyler Bell could slide into that number four receiver spot over Keon Coleman if he shows that he can be trustworthy and dependable as a player and a teammate.
Also look at veteran Joshua Palmer, who is a good, solid wide receiver but dealt with a lot of injury issues last year in his lower body.
Is that going to set him back at all this year?
It might.
We don't know.
But if it does, Skyler Bell could use that as an opportunity to get into the rotation more frequently as well.
Now, what's going to be a little tough is that Khalil Shakir operates mainly out of the slot, which is where I see Skyler Bell playing at around five-eleven, runs a four-four.
He is a prototypical slot receiver in the National Football League.
Not saying he can't get moved around, he certainly can, but I would envision the slot being the best role for him, and Khalil Shakir is a very dependable player that might keep Bell sidelined for the majority of his rookie season.
Either way, though, just because this kid's out of UConn and he was a fourth-round pick, I would not count him out from having a role on this Bills team this season and there being some opportunity at some point for him to make some plays out on the field.
And at the end of the day, you got to play the best players who you can put out there on the field who are dependable, trustworthy, and can get on the same page with your quarterback.
As long as Skyler Bell does those things, there's no limit for his future in Buffalo, and he should have some opportunity to make some things happen in his rookie season.
