It is not a hot-take to say Eagles rookie right tackle Markel Bell is a beast of a person. 6 feet 9 inches and 346 pounds is massive, even by NFL standards. So massive that other Eagles linemen, who themselves are quite large, took special notice.

“I see a guy with that size and that ability and that wingspan and that movement, he can have a lot of success in this business,” said future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson at a press conference earlier this month.

“They said they found him out of Miami, but that’s a lie. He’s not of this planet,” joked Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata back during OTAs.

But the truth is, the Eagles Front Office did find him in Miami. Following a stellar season at the University of Miami, in which he was credited with giving up literally zero sacks, the Birds nabbed him in the third round of the draft.

Bell, who had another year of NCAA eligibility, was the 8th offensive tackle taken in this year’s draft. But I strongly believe that if he played another year at Miami, he would have been a first-round pick in the 2027 draft.

All of this is to say, Bell is physically impressive, highly-touted, and showing up to training camp with a lot of hype. But, the real question: is he truly the long-term Eagles replacement for the aforementioned Lane Johnson.

Short answer: yes.

Lane Johnson’s pending retirement has been looming over the Eagles like a Sword of Damocles for years. And now, it looks like the sword finally falls, as Lane Johnson heavily insinuated that this will be his final season on the turf; I mean he is 36 years old.

You can watch the whole press conference (inserted below), but for me, this was the most definitive line: “I plan on having a really good last year.”

This situation is honestly ideal. Lane playing one more year (and hopefully staying fully healthy) gives Bell the chance to really study and learn from the All-Pro. And now, let’s take a look at what the rookie has already done to plant himself as Lane’s heir apparent.

Bell looked like an absolute bulldozer in Week 1 of the preseason. He played just over 20 offensive snaps, and this one was really impressive. (Scroll to the second video of the Tweet.)

I love the way he set the edge, and he demolished the defender to open the running lanes. This was emblematic of most of his play. He played strong, and he played quick (a powerful combination.) As the Eagles new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion put it in a press conference, “Markel did a nice job.”

Bell still has room for growth (maybe not literally), but he has already shown the elite skills needed to be a great Eagles tackle. I am certainly rooting for him. It is still early in his career, but I am ready to call Bell the Eagles future starting right tackle. He played left tackle for most of his college career, and he’ll likely be the Eagles swing tackle throughout the 2026 season. This is just the first step down a bright journey.

A secondary, but still important, question: Is there anyone else currently on the Eagles’ roster who might be competing with Bell for the future privilege of starting at right tackle? The only real competitor appears to be last year’s swing tackle Fred Johnson. I love Fred. He has an inspirational story of growth and resilience after years in the foster care system. Plus, Fred is hilarious as seen below whether he is answering questions on the mini mic or refusing to answer questions on the mini mic. But he just doesn’t have the consistent pass-blocking or athleticism to be the long-term answer.

I am, of course, hoping for many years to come of Markel anchoring a bulldozing Eagles line, but what I really can’t wait for is the inevitable Markel x Taco Bell collab. Just imagine him next to a pile of chalupas and crunchwraps. Maybe even a taco-eating contest between him the other Birds linemen. AI generated artwork below depicting what is in my brain: