Paul Longo's mistakes caused Wisconsin to miss out on next great NFL receiver

Many things can be said about the state the Wisconsin Badgers football program has been in recently, particularly in regard to its ability to churn out NFL-level talent. Last season, Wisconsin had zero players who were actively rostered for the 2025 season drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, something that hadn’t happened in nearly 50 years.

That said, there were plenty of former Badgers who transferred and found new homes who were selected, one of whom being wide receiver Skyler Bell. The 5-foot-11, 24-year-old had spent the first three seasons of his college tenure in Madison before transferring to UConn, for reasons likely connected to his lack of target share and decreasing opportunity.

Once at UConn, Bell dominated, particularly in his senior season where he racked up 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns, propelling him into the fourth round of the NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Buffalo Bills. In other words, it was a big miss for Wisconsin.

Following the pick, many fans were excited — and rightfully so. Bell was fresh off of a very productive season for a very good UConn team, and his early days at rookie OTAs suggested that he was ready to make an impact. However, an injury to open training camp caused Bell to miss his first two preseason games with the Bills, effectively killing the buzz he had.

Instant Impact

However, Bell was finally cleared to play in Buffalo’s most recent game, and he dominated. The rookie grabbed seven balls on 10 targets, totaling 49 yards. He also tacked on 28 yards and a touchdown on his lone carry of the game, highlighting just how much of a playmaker he can be with the ball in his hands.

Now, looking ahead, Bell seems primed to make an impact for the Bills from day one, helping round out what is otherwise a shallow receiver room. The extent to which he will make an impact is still an unknown as of now, but nonetheless, it’s clear that he’s going to get a fair shake.

All of this said, it’s clear that the Badgers missed out big time with their handling of Bell’s talent. If Phil Longo and the rest of Wisconsin’s staff took the time to properly understand how to utilize his abilities, it could have changed the landscape of how the past couple of years have gone for the program.

Bell would have been another weapon for a depleted Wisconsin receiver room, possibly swinging a couple games that it didn’t have the firepower to stay in. Nonetheless, it’s another miss in the long line of mistakes for the Badgers in the Luke Fickell era.

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