Dillon Bell's Vikings Roster Spot Chances Are Looking Dire

EAGAN, MN — The NFL offseason can be a wild ride. Players often gain hype, only to make little impact when it matters most. Heck, early camp reports from 2020 had Bisi Johnson outperforming a rookie Justin Jefferson. The reality is, a player’s trajectory is never based solely on their best moments, but on what they do consistently.

For many young players across the NFL, they are about to learn this the hard way, as roster cuts are coming this Sunday. The Vikings have several bubble roster players who once garnered hype, but one in particular may have had the highest expectations heading into camp.

Outside of the contentious Vikings QB battle, one offensive player’s name dominated offseason discourse through OTA’s and mini-camp: Dillon Bell. The wideout out of Georgia was widely seen as one of the more intriguing undrafted signings and kept the hype train going through the spring.

But so far through camp, Bell’s performance has left much to be desired, especially as other wideouts on the roster have stacked together impressive performances consistently.

Bell began with strong flashes

Bell was not a typical receiving prospect coming out of college. The 22-year-old totaled only 1,269 receiving yards and 11 receiving TDs through 56 games over four seasons. His 373 total rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs added an extra layer of intrigue, as he proved capable of impacting the game in multiple ways with the ball in his hands.

Once he arrived in Minnesota, he appeared ready to take the next step, often being a major standout through rookie camp to mandatory minicamp. Bell’s catches littered Vikings social media as No. 89 started to gain attention.

#Vikings QB Kyler Murray dropped it in the bucket to Dillon Bell yesterday.

🎥: @Vikings via IG pic.twitter.com/7GYlgM6YF2
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 28, 2026

Then came training camp, and with it, a mountain of expectations.

Then came a slow summer

After attending nearly every practice of Vikings camp, I can say that Dillon Bell was one of the less notable performers in the WR room. While he wasn’t dropping passes or tripping over himself, he was certainly quiet. He seemed to struggle to gain enough separation to attract passes from his QBs, limiting his opportunities.

Bell’s most notable moments often came in 7-on-7 red zone work, as his ability to make tight-window catches in the back of the end zone often led to touchdowns.

Dillon Bells drops the short pass from Wentz. pic.twitter.com/Jn0oKrBPds
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 15, 2026

The team’s first preseason game against the Giants seemed like the perfect chance to make a statement, but Bell finished with 0 catches after dropping his 1 target. He did have 27 rushing yards on 2 carries, showcasing his utility.

The second preseason game went much better for Bell, who totaled six catches for 51 yards. But would this help his chances at making the final roster? At this point, probably not, and most of the reasoning has nothing to do with his own performance.

A crowded room

Fellow wideouts Tai Felton and Myles Price have had incredibly strong summers, leaving little room for Bell, Jeshaun Jones, and Dontae Fleming to make their way onto the 53. So far, both Jones and Fleming look to be far more dependable if the team elects to carry six wideouts for the season.

Bell seems like a possible addition to the practice squad if he clears waivers. While that seemed like a long shot before camp, his quiet summer may help the Vikings stash and develop him in 2026. Bell will have one more chance to show out as the team heads to Denver to face the Broncos at 8 p.m. CT Friday.

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