PHILADELPHIA — The sight was impossible to miss, and its significance. Markel Bell is the tallest player on the roster, after all. There the rookie stood, all 6 feet, 9 inches of him, already filling in at right tackle for the five-time All-Pro he could one day succeed.Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Lane Johnson, who regularly forgoes voluntary OTAs to manage his body, will return at right tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles so long as the 36-year-old is willing and able. Johnson’s Wednesday social media post of himself rowing 135 pounds per side served as a reminder that he is both. Consider Bell’s temporary substitution during two media-accessible practices a contingency and a succession plan that should fade into the background when the team’s mandatory two-day minicamp begins Tuesday.How soon must Bell answer the, um, bell? And how ready will Bell be when called upon? His status as a third-round pick dulls how the Eagles view his potential to fulfill either question. General manager Howie Roseman said Bell was “a passion player” for the Eagles throughout the draft process. They coveted his “unusual” size and length, his unique agility, his character and drive and proficiency in pass protection. Roseman, whose tenure in Philly’s front office spans its acquisition of two future Hall of Fame tackles in Johnson and Jason Peters, called Bell “a guy that’s hard to find.”“I don’t know where we found him,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “They said they found him out of Miami. That’s a lie. He’s not of this planet.”Bell was born in Cleveland, Miss., and sprouted to 6 feet 7, 285 pounds by the 10th grade. That’s when he quit basketball, committed to football and enrolled at nearby Holmes Community College when all but a handful of FCS programs initially passed on a rural giant who was still learning to coordinate his body. Bell went about his development with an unassuming nature that balanced a massive build that spoke for itself.“Other than when he ducks through the door when he comes in, or blocks the sunlight when he comes into the room, he’s not going to be a guy that you’re going to recognize or see,” Holmes head coach Marcus Wood said.Bell’s juco path to the University of Miami was not due to his grades or behavior, his former coaches say. They described him as a self-aware self-starter who knew his potential and bet on himself to see it through. Holmes scheduled its games on Thursdays so players could take recruiting trips on weekends, but Wood said Bell spent his Sundays coming into the facility on his own time to study film of NFL offensive tackles and top prospects at Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and Miami — the programs he wanted to play for.Auburn and Mississippi State came calling after Bell’s freshman year. Wood said they both offered Bell low name, image and likeness deals at first, then later raised their proposals. It was an ill-fit strategy. Wood said if they’d have stuck to their original offers, Bell might have agreed. Bell, who’d willingly chosen the juco route, was more interested in sincere investments in his development than instant money. Bell stayed at Holmes for a second season. Wood, grateful to retain an SEC-caliber tackle, crossed his fingers that Bell would stay healthy.Loyalty lies at the root of Bell’s motivations. Alex Mirabal, Bell’s offensive line coach at Miami, said he explained this to Eagles offensive line coach Chris Kuper when they met during the predraft process:Markel doesn’t want to let his juco coaches down. Markel doesn’t want to let us down. Markel is not going to want to let you or Nick Sirianni down. He’s a guy that wants to do well for himself, the program, the organization — but more specifically for the men who took a chance on him.“I feel like that dude will take a bullet for me,” Mirabal told The Athletic. “That dude busted his butt on the field and wanted to do well on the field, not only for himself, his family, but those of us who gave him the opportunity. It’s hard to explain, but easy to see. A very, very loyal young man.”Markel Bell, lifting the Fiesta Bowl trophy after Miami’s win over Ole Miss in the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinal, did not allow a sack last season. (Chris Coduto / Getty Images)Take Miami’s last-minute win over Ole Miss in last year’s Fiesta Bowl. Mirabal said they sat together in the afterglow of that CFP semifinal victory. An unsaid subject hung between them. Mirabal knew Bell had six days to decide whether he’d return for his third and final year of eligibility at Miami or declare early for the NFL Draft. Mirabal knew Bell’s loyalty was delaying the obvious. That, and Bell’s quiet nature. He’d played loudly. He’d helped pave the way for Mark Fletcher Jr.’s ACC-leading 1,192 rushing yards. Bell hadn’t allowed a sack all season.“It’s time for you to go,” Mirabal told Bell.“Yeah, Coach,” Bell replied. “I just didn’t know how to tell you.”“Well, you don’t have to tell me,” Mirabal said. “I know. And you know.”How many else knew? Most of the national attention centered on Miami’s All-American right tackle, Francis Mauigoa, whom the New York Giants eventually drafted No. 10. The Hurricanes, who ranked No. 8 in the NCAA in total pass EPA, per TruMedia, enjoyed the luxury of having two elite tackles to support their passing game: Mauigoa, the five-star from IMG Academy; Bell, the top-rated juco tackle. Bell spent two seasons at left tackle disappointing any defensive coordinator who thought he’d catch a break attacking away from Mauigoa.“You close your eyes, and they both shut down defensive ends in pass protection, now,” Mirabal said.Mirabal said Bell, like Mauigoa, fit Miami’s maxim: “Mass Kicks Ass.” The phrase defines a philosophy Mirabal said dates to Miami head coach Mario Cristobal’s four seasons as Alabama’s offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator under Nick Saban. There’s a qualifying addendum, Mirabal said, which captures what makes tackles such as Bell special: “Not only does Mass Kick Ass, but that mass has to be able to move.” Cristobal and Mirabal saw in Bell what they’d also seen in Penei Sewell, now a three-time All-Pro left tackle for the Detroit Lions, during their time together at Oregon. Bell’s massive frame made him impossible to miss on the recruiting trail, but Mirabal said his ability to move made him “a no-brainer” to bring to Miami.Bell’s fast footwork helps him excel in pass protection. His height and 36 3/8-inch arm length already make it difficult for defenders to bend around. Add quickness, neutralize danger. Wood, whose Holmes offenses threw the ball nearly twice as often as it ran, said Bell “did not give up sacks” in juco, either. Bell, who played only left tackle in college, said Mirabal cross-trained him at right tackle in practice, too.Mirabal said Bell’s biggest jump in development originated from learning how to use his hands. “When you’re long, play long,” the lesson went. Where do you put your hands on certain plays? Why do you put your hands there? Mirabal said, fittingly enough, that they’d sit together in the film room and study Johnson and Mailata because they’re also “extremely large human beings.” When a reporter asked Bell upon being drafted if he’d gotten to know either tackle yet, Bell shook his head vigorously in the affirmative.“I’ve been knowing about them,” he said.Acquiring young prospects to personally learn from franchise pillars has long been a core strategy for the Eagles. Cam Jurgens, playing alongside Jason Kelce. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, playing alongside Fletcher Cox. Johnson’s age and injury history contributed to questions of whether a successor would benefit from his mentorship. Bell, beyond his film study, already has a head start. Bell said he met Johnson while training with Duke Manyweather, an NFL consultant and renowned offensive line coach, who also trains Johnson in Frisco, Texas. Mirabal described Bell’s start with the Eagles as “a perfect situation” where he’ll now have a “front-row seat” for the tackles they watched.“Pretty honored that he’s watching us,” said Mailata, when told of Bell’s studies. “I think we’re going to have a lot of fun.”Mirabal and Wood agreed Bell must improve as a run blocker — a development track that will focus on Bell playing with a lower pad level. Mirabal noted run blocking, in general, is a “difficult thing” for extremely tall players like Bell. The Eagles’ scheme change to more zone blocking techniques under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion could help. Wood, whose run plays wholly used inside-zone and outside-zone concepts, said Bell’s size made him “tremendous with the outside zone” for the same reasons he was proficient in pass protection.“He’s got to get low and stay low, and that’s his thing just cuz he’s so massive,” Wood said. “But once he gets ahold of you, good luck. You’ll have a hard time getting free of that big body.”The Eagles are months away from making definitive decisions on Bell’s ability to support depth. When asked about Bell at the start of OTAs, Sirianni emphasized “nobody’s a finished product right now” but added, “He’s learning something new every day and handles the volume that has been thrown at him in a very positive manner.” Once training camp begins in late July, Bell’s immediate position battle for the swing tackle role will begin with incumbent Fred Johnson, second-year tackles Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams, and former Tennessee Titans tackle John Ojukwu. Bell’s inclusion with the first team in OTAs, paired with Hinton’s appearance at second-team right guard, effectively sets the starting line for Bell’s advancement.“If he feels like they have a genuine interest in him and care for him and want to see him do well, he’ll run through walls for them,” Wood said.