Dillon Bell Has Every Reason to Be Worried His Time With Vikings Is Running Out

He's been with the team for less than four months, but will the UDFA WR's time in Minnesota end soon?

Dillon Bell might have to step up in a serious way if he hopes to stick around in the Vikings' WR room. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Competition is heating up in the NFL. Although preseason is underway and fans are curious about how the Vikings will stack up against other teams in the league, other battles are going on every day at practice that will have a huge impact on the team's performance.

The battles that go on every day will shed light on which Vikings players rise to the occasion and which ones collapse when pressure is on. For wide receiver Dillon Bell, the pressure has to be reaching a critical level.

Minnesota will likely only keep five or six wide receivers on its roster for the 2026 NFL season. Several players are already a lock to take some of those spots, and Bell is falling behind the other pass catchers in the race for the 53-man roster.

Dillon Bell needs to step it up for the Vikings if he hopes to make the 53-man roster

When talking about wide receivers for the Vikings, the initial names that always come up are Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, which is understandable considering they were both first-round draft picks and have established themselves since entering the NFL.

Past the two stars, Minnesota recently signed former 49ers contributor Jauan Jennings and has two young players on their roster in Tai Felton and Myles Price, who have flashed their potential.

That makes five wide receivers who are likely to make the team this season. A sixth receiver would need to make a great impression on the coaching staff to convince them that they are worthy of a roster spot. Bell has not done that yet.

Dillon Bell has yet to show enough for Vikings fans to feel confident in his outlook heading into the 53-man roster deadline at the end of the month. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bell failed to haul in a pass in the Vikings' preseason opener against the Giants, but contributed as a runner. However, he will need to do more than that to convince head coach Kevin O'Connell that Minnesota needs to have him on the 53-man roster.

Jeshaun Jones is an emerging player to watch in the battle for a possible sixth wide receiver spot this season. With Jones making plays at practice, Bell will need to step up in a hurry to fend off anyone coming for that roster spot.

That doesn't account for Dontae Fleming, Terrrill Davis, Michael Briscoe, Trayvon Rudolph, and Marcus Sanders Jr., although they are all still in the mix as well and should have more chances to shine before Minnesota makes their final cuts.

This is the time of year when the pressure is on players like Bell to prove to the Vikings' coaches that he can help this team during the upcoming season. The only question is whether he will be able to rise to the occasion before it is too late.

With the 53-man roster deadline on Sunday, Aug. 30, the clock is ticking.

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