The Eagles may not have to spend long searching for Lane Johnson’s replacement.
That’s the takeaway after rookie tackle Markell Bell flashed in his preseason debut, adding to the buzz he’d already built throughout training camp. Philadelphia has spent the last half-decade preparing for major offensive line turnover once before, and now the same conversation is starting again with Johnson coming off an injury-riddled season and likely entering his last NFL campaign.
ESPN’s Tim McManus pointed to Bell as the standout rookie on the field for Philadelphia. As McManus wrote, "The best rookie on the field for the Eagles was tackle Markell Bell, as has been the case all summer," McManus writes.
"... With Lane Johnson coming off an injury-riddled season and likely entering his last NFL campaign, Bell's emergence appears right on time."
Bell still has plenty left to prove, and nobody is ready to stamp him as Johnson’s successor after one preseason showing. He hasn’t taken a regular-season snap yet, and the real test will come against top-level NFL pass rushers.
Still, the early signs are hard to miss. The 6-foot-9 tackle from Miami has paired his enormous frame with encouraging mobility, and the Eagles seem increasingly confident he can keep developing as he learns behind Johnson.
Philadelphia selected Bell with the No. 68 overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, a move that already looks more intriguing after what he showed in camp and in his first preseason action. At 22 years old, he’s giving the Eagles reason to picture a future where he and Jordan Mailata hold down the tackle spots well beyond 2026.
That’s not the case for every young lineman the Eagles have brought in. Eli Stowers has not stood out, and Makai Lemon has been dealing with injuries for a while now.
Bell, though, is making a real argument that Philadelphia may have found its next right tackle before the job even officially opens up.
In Other News...
Za'Darius Smith Just Reopened A Frustration Eagles Fans Know Well
ZaDarius Smith is back in the news, and for Eagles fans it brings a familiar mix of what-ifs and unfinished business. After spending last season in Philadelphia and appearing in five games before retiring, the veteran edge rusher had been tied to a potential return to Cleveland, where he previously worked with Kevin Stefanski, only for his next step to shift in a different direction after a workout.
Now the Falcons are the team making the move, a sign of how quickly the edge-rush market can change when injuries and suspensions start thinning a depth chart. For the Eagles, it is another reminder of how brief Smiths stint in Philly was and how often his career seems to send him back into the spotlight just when one landing spot looks settled. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Rookie Battle Is Suddenly Separating Roster Locks From Bubble Names
The Eagles rookie class has already started to sort itself into two clear groups as camp moves along, with the early draft picks looking far more secure than the rest of the first-year crowd. Philadelphia has spent the summer evaluating 15 rookies across different spots on the roster, and the picture is becoming clearer by the day as some players push toward opening-week roles while others are fighting just to stay in the conversation for the 53-man roster or practice squad.
Jalen Lemons path has been slowed by a hamstring injury that has kept him out since Aug. 4, though he is close to getting back on the field, while the tight end picture also carries some real intrigue with Stowers trending toward a healthy scratch as the TE3 for Week 1. Elsewhere, Bell, Payton, Morris, Wisniewski, Bernard and James-Newby are all being judged not just on talent, but on how quickly they can turn their development into something the Eagles can actually use once roster cuts arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Camp Picture Is Getting Clearer At Wide Receiver
The Eagles twelfth training camp practice offered another look at a receiver room that is slowly starting to take shape, even as the injury report continues to do a lot of the heavy lifting. Makai Lemon, Tank Bigsby and Johnny Wilson were all sidelined, while DeVonta Smith and safety Cole Wisniewski were among the players working on a limited basis as Philadelphia keeps sorting through who can stack full practices ahead of the 2026 season.
Smith was back in a helmet and getting in some position work after the hamstring issue that had slowed him, a small but encouraging step for a passing game that still needs its top targets available and sharp. Lemon, meanwhile, stayed out of the full session but kept moving on the side field, running routes and going through the catch circuit as the Eagles continue to monitor a camp picture at wide receiver that is becoming clearer even if it is not settled yet. [Read more 🡒]