Whatever the holdup may have been, the Philadelphia Eagles are surely glad, for many reasons, to finally have 6-foot-9, 346-pound rookie offensive tackle Markel Bell under contract.
They’re glad because it means a smooth path forward with Bell, a 2026 3rd-round pick (No. 68 overall) who will almost certainly be counted on to add critical depth this season behind NFL All-Pro starters with Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson.
There’s little doubt that Bell is being looked at as a possible long-term replacement for Johnson, who is headed into what could be his 14th and final NFL season.
“The Eagles have signed third-round pick OT Markel Bell, per his agents,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account on Tuesday.
While the financial terms of Bell’s deal weren’t immediately available, there wasn’t an offensive tackle taken in the 2nd round of this year’s draft to compare him to in terms of salary. The next player taken at Bell’s position was Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Austin Barber (No. 86 overall), who signed a 4-year, $6.8 million contract.
Eagles Showed Pre-Draft Interest in Markel Bell
The Eagles were signaling their interest in Bell — nicknamed “the Human Skyscraper” — in the lead-up to the draft.
“Source: The Philadelphia Eagles are hosting Miami OT Markel Bell for a 30 visit,” NFL reporter Ryan Fowler wrote on his official X account on March 28. “Massive ballplayer at 6’9”, 346 lbs with 36 3/8 on the arm — 6th longest ever measured at the combine. Didn’t allow a single sack in 558 pass pro snaps in ‘25.”
Not only did Bell not allow a sack in 2025, but he was also part of the group that essentially brought the Miami program back to life by leading them to a surprise appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Bell has received massive praise for his improvement over the last 2 years with Miami after spending his first 2 college seasons at Holmes (Mississippi) Community College.
“Mountainous tackle with rare physical attributes that work both in his favor and against him depending on the situation,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. ” … He has exceptional length that he puts to good use in finding static pass rushers and offering shade to the pocket. NFL edge speed and sudden inside moves could be an evergreen issue for Bell, but with coaching, he could learn to mitigate those issues with his length. He has Day 3 value but might have a firm ceiling on his upside.”
Eagles Made Incredible OT Pick With Jordan Mailata
While Johnson lived up to expectations as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft, the real success story Bell wants to emulate on the Eagles would be Mailata, who the Eagles selected in the 7th round (No. 233 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft and developed into an NFL All-Pro and 1 of the NFL’s most dominant offensive tackles.
In Mailata and Johnson, Bell will not only have 2 of the greatest mentors any young NFL offensive tackle could ask for — and 2 of the only human beings he’ll probably ever encounter who can match him physically, with Mailata at 6-foot-8 and 365 pounds and Johnson at 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds.
Eagles Finally Get 6-foot-9, 346-Pound Draft Pick to Sign Contract