Instant Grade After Bills Draft Wide Receiver Skyler Bell in Fourth Round

The Bills made a long-awaited selection with their second of three fourth-round picks.

Connecticut Huskies wide receiver Skyler Bell (1) makes the touchdown catch against the Buffalo Bulls in the second quarter at Rentschler Field. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Things might be starting to turn around for the Buffalo Bills in the 2026 NFL Draft, as the team selected UConn wide receiver Skyler Bell with pick No. 125 in the fourth round, its first of two consecutive picks.

Bell satisfies a significant need with which the Bills entered the draft, as even after trading for wide receiver DJ Moore, Buffalo remained in need of a boost at the wide receiver position. They get it in the former Huskies target, whose production profile is off the charts.

The 6-foot, 190-pound wide receiver finished the 2025 season with 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns. His yardage total was second in all of the FBS, while his reception and touchdown totals set new UConn program records.

Bell is the third wide receiver the Bills have drafted in the last three seasons, while many fans are hoping he can develop into the Hall-of-Fame-level talent that former Buffalo fourth-round pick, Andre Reed, transformed into during his days in Orchard Park. Bell is also just the third wide receiver drafted in the fourth round or earlier since Brandon Beane took over as Bills general manager in 2017.

What he offers

UConn Huskies wide receiver Skyler Bell (1) runs after making a catch against the Syracuse Orange during overtime at JMA Wireless Dome. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The 23-year-old ran a speedy 4.4 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, exhibiting his ability to run away from defenders and gain separation. His athleticism is also held in high regard, as he recorded an athleticism score of 85 at the combine, which was sixth among wide receivers, according to Next Gen Stats.

Bell will join a Bills’ wide receiver group that features Moore, leading receiver Khalil Shakir and former 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman. The former UConn WR recorded at least four drops per season during his collegiate career, but brought that number down from seven in back-to-back seasons to four in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus, which gave him a receiving grade of 85.2 this past season, which was 34th among 679 graded players.

Final grade: B+

UConn wideout Skyler Bell (WO05) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The only thing that held this pick back from reaching an A grade is what Buffalo missed out on in the earlier rounds. There were even more impressive prospects than Bell, such as KC Concepcion and Omar Cooper Jr., who had previously performed at a higher level at the college level, beyond the competition he played against at UConn.

While I really like the value the Bills got, selecting Bell in the middle of the fourth round, I felt they could have done better with how the board fell early in the draft. Still, I think this is a good pick for Buffalo, as Bills OnSI’s Randy Gurzi predicted earlier on Saturday.

It fills a roster hole, improves a position that has been lacking in recent seasons and satisfies a fan base that suffered through an atrocious start to the Bills’ 2026 draft slate. Maybe there is hope after all.

One pick after Bell, the Bills brought in linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr. Buffalo still has two fifth-round picks [167, 168] and pick No. 220 in the seventh round to finish out their 2026 draft.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.