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Markel Bell

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Markel Bell
No. 72 – Philadelphia Eagles
PositionOffensive tackle
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (2004-07-19) July 19, 2004 (age 21)
Cleveland, Mississippi, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight346 lb (157 kg)
Career information
High schoolCleveland Central (Cleveland)
College
NFL draft2026: 3rd round, 68th overall pick
Career history
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Markel Bell (born July 19, 2004) is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and Holmes CC and was selected by the Eagles in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft.

Early life

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Bell was born on July 19, 2004 in Cleveland, Mississippi.[1] He is the oldest of three siblings.[2] Bell first began playing football during 7th grade.[2] He attended Cleveland Central High School, where he played football and basketball. He later switched to football full time due to his size and on-field impact, growing to 6'7 and 285 pounds by his sophomore year. Despite his stature and ability, and the reception of offers from smaller, regional schools, Bell was drawn to Junior colleges rather than larger schools for developmental purposes, leading him to enroll at Holmes Community College in Goodman, Mississippi.[1][2]

College career

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Bell played at Holmes Community College in 2022 and 2023.[3] He earned All-NJCAA All-Region honors in 2023.[4] Bell was ranked as the number one offensive tackle junior college transfer in 2023 and transferred to the University of Miami.[5][6] In his first year at Miami in 2024, he played in 12 games and started five in place of injured starter Jalen Rivers.[7][8] He returned to Miami in 2025 as the full-time starting left tackle.[9] After the 2025 season, Bell was named a second-team Academic All-American and attended the Senior Bowl.[2]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span Wingspan 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split
6 ft 9+1⁄4 in
(2.06 m)		 346 lb
(157 kg)		 36+3⁄8 in
(0.92 m)		 9 in
(0.23 m)		 7 ft 3+1⁄8 in
(2.21 m)		 5.36 s 1.84 s 3.11 s
All values from NFL Combine[10][11]

Bell was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 68th overall pick of the 2026 NFL draft. Philadelphia previously obtained the pick used to draft Bell by trading Haason Reddick to the New York Jets in 2024.[12] On June 23, 2026, Bell officially signed his four-year rookie contract.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kubena, Brooks (2026-06-16). "How rookie OT Markel Bell went from juco giant to Eagles' latest passion project". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  2. ^ a b c d Brugler, Dane. "Markel Bell - The Beast 2026". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
  3. ^ "Hurricanes' new big man on campus, 6-foot-8 Markel Bell, could play large role this year". April 9, 2024.
  4. ^ "Bell Signs With University of Miami – Bolivar Bullet".
  5. ^ ‘Human skyscraper’ on Miami roster (nearly 6-9) learning plenty from 5-4 line coach
  6. ^ "Hurricanes land massive junior college offensive lineman Markel Bell". November 3, 2023.
  7. ^ ‘We trust him’: How Markel Bell earned a steady role on Miami Hurricanes’ offensive line
  8. ^ After big adjustments in Year 1 at UM, 6-9 Markel Bell ready for big role with Hurricanes
  9. ^ "How Hurricanes' 6-foot-9 offensive tackle Markel Bell is preparing for starting role". March 22, 2025.
  10. ^ "Markel Bell Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  11. ^ "Markel Bell College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  12. ^ Gehman, Jim (April 24, 2026). "Eagles select T Markel Bell at No. 68 overall". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  13. ^ "Eagles sign OT Markel Bell". Philadelphia Eagles. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
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