Adding offensive firepower on Saturday, the Buffalo Bills selected UConn WR Skyler Bell late in the fourth round.
The 2025 consensus All American and Biletnikoff finalist, Bell had 101 receptions for 1278 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final season. He was an absolute electric player for the Huskies that had a lot of upside.
On top of his talent, he also does not enter the NFL with a lot of injury baggage.
Read below for a full injury history and analysis.
Injury History
2021 Wisconsin
Left hamstring, preseason, missed 6 games.
Left hamstring, vs Purdue, missed 6 games.
2022 Wisconsin
No publicly reported injuries.
2023 Wisconsin
No publicly reported injuries, bowl opt-out.
2024 UConn
Leg injury, vs Temple, missed 0 games.
Bell briefly left in the first quarter against Temple but was able to return after 20 minutes.
2025 UConn
Undisclosed injury, vs Florida Atlantic, missed 0 games.
Bell briefly left early in the game but was able to return.
Quadriceps, East West Shrine Bowl, missed game.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
Bell has a pretty clean injury history, not missing any games since 2021. Looking at the few injuries he did have, his hamstring is most notable. This specific injury is incredibly common in speed positions such as wide receivers. In fact, wide receivers make up 20.8 percent of all hamstring injuries, only second to defensive backs. Incidence of overall recurrence after initial hamstring injury can vary greatly, but several studies range from placing the risk at around 30-38 percent with a 38.4 percent chance for an athlete to suffer another one in the next three seasons. Fortunately, he did not have any further recurrence.
To add context to his hamstring in 2021, he did not play his senior season of football due to COVID. I’m sure he kept in shape but there is a difference between staying in shape versus playing at game speeds. He then moves halfway across the country and goes up a higher level of competition. My bet was that his body was not ready for the demands of college football yet and in trying to prove he belongs there, this pushes an athlete further.
He rehabbed for half of the season before he played against Purdue where he promptly re-injured it, ending his season. Considering this injury was five years ago, he is still at risk for future strains due to his position, but he’s not at any increased risk compared to his counterparts.
Addressing his quadriceps injury, it’s possible that this was tied to his injury against Florida Atlantic. Also consider that this was an exhibition game with no benefit to actually participate. The quadricep appeared healthy enough a month later that he ran a 4.40 at the NFL Combine.
Final Thoughts
There aren’t really any concerns moving forward with Skyler Bell. His hamstring injury from 2021 is of no concern and his quadriceps injury appeared to be precautionary. He has proven he can play at a high level and stay healthy. I do expect him to deal with some injuries as most players do, but nothing in his history suggests there should be lingering problems. For where the Bills drafted him, this was a steal.
I’d like to welcome Skyler Bell to Buffalo and to remain healthy this season.
Top Photo Credit: Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images
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