UConn’s productive passing combo, quarterback Joe Fagnano and receiver Skyler Bell, have been going through their paces for NFL scouts, coaches and executives this week in Indianapolis.
The NFL Combine, which ends Monday, offered a chance to show their skills for all 32 teams and improve their chances for the NFL Draft in April.
“Huge, man. Can’t remember the last time we had a skill player at the combine other than Byron Jones,” Bell told reporters on Friday. “Being back here puts UConn on the national stage, brings more eyes on us, will lead to success in the future.”
Jones made waves at the combine in 2015 with a record broad jump, catapulting himself into the first round. He had a long NFL career as a cornerback. Since then, UConn’s best prospects and high draft picks have been offensive linemen.
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Fagnano, 25, broke through to gain national attention last season, his seventh in college, and throwing to Bell was a big part of that. “Credit to him, he deserves to be here,” Fagnano said. “He’s a heck of a football player. Being able to work with him the last two years elevated my game.”
Bell started his career at Wisconsin, then transferred to UConn with the hope of being a No. 1 target. He caught 50 passes in 2024, then last season caught 101 for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns. An All-American and Fred Biletnikoff Award finalist, He had a knack for making difficult and clutch catches, but the combines are about “measurables,” the raw numbers NFL teams look at to determine whether a college player has the skills to play in the NFL.
“I wouldn’t be here without Joe,” Bell said. “He’s the guy that gets me the ball. We were talking about it here, all the late night throwing sessions, the extra routes, extra reps, it paid off.”
In the 40-yard dash, Bell finished in 4.4 seconds. His 10-yard split was 1.53, his vertical leap 41 inches, his broad jump 11 feet, 1 inches. These numbers indicate his quick acceleration, and translated to a score of 77 and an “athleticism score” of 83, seventh among wide receivers at the combine. His scouting grade was 6.25, which is considered an NFL-starter level.
Bell is projected as a second-to-fourth round draft pick. “I model my game after guys like Ja’Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs, Jaxon Smith-Njigba,” Bell said. “Those guys can do a lot after the catch, create separation, contested catches. They model my game a little bit, same size.”
At 6 feet, 192 pounds, Bell, his hands measuring 10 inches, his arms 31 1/8, made his reputation by breaking tackles after making the catch. “I just try to let my tapes do the talking,” he said. “I can take a short pass and take it the distance.”
All the players at the combine speak to numerous teams. In his interview, Bell was asked about and acknowledged meeting with the Cowboys, Vikings and Bills.
Fagnano is a unique prospect, given he was in college so long. His age isn’t expected to concern teams, since he brings so much game experience. At UConn, he completed 69 percent of his passes in 2025, for 3,448 yards and 28 touchdowns, with only one interception.
“Credit to the offensive line, where credit’s due,” Fagnano told reporters. “They kept my jersey clean. It’s easy to sit back there when you have a clean pocket and get through your reads, check down on your receivers. (Teams would get) a disciplined player, tough, competitive.”
Fagnano touched on his journey, getting few offers out of high school, going to Maine, an FCS program. After transferring to UConn, suffering a season ending shoulder injury, winning and losing the starting job, before taking over for good in mid-2024.
“I don’t know how many people know my story, but I don’t think there’s a lot of people who would go through the journey I’ve gone through to be here,” he said. “I think it just speaks volumes. The bumps in the road have gotten me where I am, made me who I am.”
Fagnano worked out with some of best-known quarterbacks in the country, like Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be the first pick in the draft, Miami’s Carson Beck, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia. In his workouts, Fagnano, 6-3 and 226, was measured with 10-inch hands, 31 3/8 arms. He ran a 4.83 in the 40-yard dash, with a 1.67 split, had a 35-inch vertical and 9-10 in the broad jump. He also ran a 20-yard shuttle in 4.35 seconds.
“Rare seventh-year senior with the size and production to warrant a deeper dive,” wrote Lance Zierlein for NFL.com. “Fagnano is a ball-distributing pocket passer with an average arm and inconsistent accuracy. He’s highly experienced, showing adequate command of his offense.”
Fagnano was graded at 70, 12th among QBs in Indianapolis, and projected as a late draft pick or undrafted free agent.
“(I’m) somebody that can still be a leader in that role even though there might be somebody ahead of you and it’s his offense at that time,” Fagnano said, “somebody who doesn’t let circumstances dictate how they work, it doesn’t change your preparation whether. first, second, third string.”
Fagnano opted out of UConn’s Fenway Bowl game, and Bell played only one offensive series. Both went to post-season all-star events, Fagnano going 5-for-5 on a game-winning drive in the East-West Shrine Game. Bell has some injuries and did not play in the game.
“Bell is an inside-outside target with adequate size and field-stretching speed,” Zierlein wrote. “He has the tools to beat press quickly and the acceleration/cut quickness to open clean windows. The TDs left on the field due to underthrown passes at UConn will turn into NFL touchdowns with an accurate passer. Bell’s speed and upside should make him a productive starter.”
Former UConn tight end Justin Joly, who played the last two years at NC State, graded at 6.16 at the combine, which translates to a potential NFL starter.