The Kansas City Chiefs have officially hosted a wide receiver target for Patrick Mahomes who’s in the 2026 NFL draft.
As the Kansas City Chiefs near the 2026 NFL draft, Andy Reid has his sights firmly set on beefing up the team’s defense, but he’d also be wise to get a fresh wide receiver target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. So, who are the most sought-after wide receivers in the draft?
Lucky for the Chiefs, there are some strong ones. Now, according to multiple reports and the player’s own Instagram story, the Kansas City Chiefs have officially hosted Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell on a top-30 visit on Tuesday, April 14.
Bell’s story showed the view of the Chiefs’ practice facility, showing that he was in town. His visit is the 16th top-30 visit for Kansas City. So, who is Bell, and is he a good fit for the team?
Louisville Wide Receiver Still Nursing a Knee Injury But Has Promise for the Kansas City Chiefs
Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports has a feature out about Bell’s visit, and in it, he has positive things to say about the wide receiver.
“Bell is a yard-after-the-catch and contested catch machine,” he states in the feature. “He doesn’t have the most nuanced or advanced route tree, but he’s really good at finding ways to win. Bell has earned comparisons to receivers like A.J. Brown and Anquan Boldin, given his size and playstyle.” Having an A.J. Brown-type wide receiver on the team would not be a bad thing, by any stretch.
Bell played with Louisville for four years, and during that time, he recorded 151 catches for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns. For the 2025-26 season, he racked up 917 receiving yards and six touchdowns, according to Sports Reference research.
The question mark is injury. In November 2025, Bell tore his ACL. Before the injury, he was in line to be a first-round pick. But, according to Jordan Schultz, Bell’s rehab is ahead of schedule, with Schultz stating that the player was “progressing ahead of schedule and is now running and jumping.”
As for speed, Schultz reported that “GPS tracked him at low 4.3 speed in full pads,” which is very fast for someone his size.
Why the Kansas City Chiefs Might Land Chris Bell Over Other Teams
One reason the Kansas City Chiefs may be able to snag Bell over other teams is because they already have a stable of starting wide receivers, so they’ll be able to deal with Bell being sidelined for the early part of the season. Other franchises don’t have that luxury.
Bell’s NFL profile says that the wide receiver’s scores “frequently came as a move target across the hashes, where he was able to use impressive build-up speed to eliminate angles and outrun everyone in the secondary to the paint.” But, on the downside, “Bell lacks dynamic qualities and his ACL tear could impact his draft slotting, but he’s a big, physical target with room to improve.”
So, do the Chiefs have a need for a WR2 or WR3, enough that they would find value in drafting Bell? We’re leaning towards yes at a later spot in the draft.
Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson
