The NFL Draft starts on Thursday night, when the first round of the league’s annual selection meeting will take place. They have Rounds 2-3 on Friday night before completing the draft with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday afternoon.
At least one UConn Husky, WR Skyler Bell, is expected to be picked, in addition to one former Husky in TE Justin Joly, who finished his career at NC State. QB Joe Fagnano may be picked as well.
Fagnano began the draft process on the fringe of the conversation to be picked and has not seemed to raise his stock from that level. He’s viewed as a possible late-round pick or a candidate to be an undrafted free agent.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who had nice things to say about Bell earlier in the process, has stayed strong on his projections of the Bronx native’s NFL potential.
Reid has Bell going at the 16th pick of the 3rd round (80th overall) to the Baltimore Ravens, a team that has been a popular choice, pairing him with star QB Lamar Jackson. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Bell going in the 4th round to the Ravens at 115th overall.
“Lamar Jackson could use more playmakers,” Reid writes. “Bell is a steady, reliable target who has excellent play strength to separate against contact.”
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has Bell going 73rd overall, also in the third round, to the New Orleans Saints. Their draft profile notes that Bell is “an inside/out target with adequate size and field-stretching speed,” and “has the tools to beat press quickly and the acceleration/cut quickness to open clean windows.”
Finally, it adds that his “speed and upside should make him a productive starter.”
Bell has drawn comparisons to Amon-Ra St. Brown, the ultra-productive receiver on the Detroit Lions who was a 4th round pick in 2021 and has been to four Pro Bowls since, and was a two-time All-Pro First Team selection.
“Like St. Brown, Bell projects as a high-volume target who can consistently win underneath while still threatening defenses downfield,” Pro Football Network wrote. “He can line up inside or outside, run a full route tree, and create separation at all three levels.”
PFN analyst Jacob Infante projected him in the third round to the Ravens as well. Pro Football Focus has Bell as the 10th-best WR on its board and the 60th-ranked prospect overall.
Joly’s projections are near Bell’s. The tight end was also at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February and has stayed on the draft radar. He’s been mocked between the third and fifth rounds by The Athletic, NFL.com, and ESPN.
For Fagnano, being drafted remains a possibility. But once you get into the final rounds, it can be better to go the UDFA route. This way, the player has some agency to sign with the best possible situation, rather than being picked late and not necessarily being a priority for that coach or team.
PFF ranks him as the 18th-best QB, ranked 287th overall among all draft prospects.
