Rookie Buffalo Bills WR Skyler Bell is getting some high praise from one of his coaches. A fourth-round pick out of Connecticut, Bell is competing for an early role in Buffalo’s wide receiving corps. Outside of D.J. Moore and Khalil Shakir, not much is set in that room, opening the door for Bell to establish himself.
In 2025, Bell grabbed 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns for UConn. Based on the comparison one Bills coach levied at him, Bell might be well on his way to earning that role.
Buffalo Bills WR Skyler Bell Receives Lofty Comparison
GettyORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 21: Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills reacts during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium on January 21, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Former Bills safety and current fellowship coach Dean Marlowe had a lofty player comparison to make for Bell.
“He honestly reminds me of a younger [Stefon] Diggs,” Marlow said on The Film Room, via Sports Illustrated’s Alex Brasky. “And he might be a little bit faster.”
“Skyler Bell has done a fabulous job,” continued Marlowe. “He doesn’t look like a rookie to me.”
“Marlowe then recalled a few routes that Bell ran during the Bills’ offseason work in which the youngster ‘stopped on a dime’ displaying his natural capacity to gain separation, as he did routinely during his final collegiate season at UConn,” Brasky wrote. “Separating from defenders has also been a strength of Diggs’ throughout his career.”
Scouting Report on Bills WR Skyler Bell
GettyCHESTNUT HILL, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 18: Skyler Bell #1 of the UConn Huskies (now of the Buffalo Bills) sprints with the ball during a game against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
I loved Bell leading up to the draft, ranking him as my WR9 in a loaded class and at No. 60 overall on my big board. Arif Hasan’s media consensus board at Wide Left had Bell checking in at No. 84 overall. No matter how you slice it, the Bills got an absolute steal taking Bell in the fourth round.
“Bell is an explosive vertical separator,” I wrote prior to the draft. “He generates impressive movement off the snap, stacking corners and getting himself open in an instant. Paired that explosiveness with smooth hips and great short-area burst, and you get his incredible separation scores, with sharp routes and quick feet to boot. The athleticism is real with Bell, and it translates on tape in a way few can match. He can line up out wide or in the slot and knows how to attack the vulnerabilities of zone coverage.”
The Bills had a wide receiver problem last season. Outside of Shakir, they didn’t have any consistent contributors. Trading for Moore addresses part of that issue, but Buffalo is still lacking in proven playmakers. That opens up a huge opportunity for Bell — and he’s well on his way to earning a healthy target share as a rookie.
Bills Coach Compares Rookie WR Skyler Bell to Former Star Playmaker