The Eagles’ season has gone off the rails, but Markel Bell has become one of the few real reasons to keep watching.
With Philadelphia mired in a five-game losing streak and sitting at 2-5, attention around the team has already drifted toward the 2027 NFL draft. Lane Johnson’s retirement earlier this month only sharpened that conversation, because plenty of fans immediately pegged offensive tackle as a future need. Bell may be changing that equation.
The third-round rookie from Miami has started four games since Johnson stepped away on Oct. 6, and the early returns have given the Eagles something tangible to build on. Bell was the No. 68 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and while he is still learning on the job, he has flashed enough to make the organization think he could be Johnson’s long-term replacement.
“I’m not trying to fill anybody’s shoes,” Bell said Wednesday. “But I am trying to be one of the best in this league.”
That kind of confidence has shown up since he first got thrown into the fire. Bell told PennLive before Johnson’s retirement that he was “always confident” and wouldn’t be “out there scared” if the moment came. It came fast, beginning with his first start against the Los Angeles Rams, when he found out just hours before kickoff that Johnson was out and he was in.
Since then, the rookie has settled in. There have been mistakes, and he still needs to sharpen his pass protection and become more consistent there.
But Bell’s size and power are already clear. At 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds, he has been a force in the run game, and he handled himself well protecting quarterback Tanner McKee on Monday against Dallas.
Nick Sirianni said Bell’s latest outing may have been his best yet.
“Every time he goes out there and practices and plays, he gets better,” Sirianni said. “I do see improvement.
On Monday night, I think he played his best game of the year. That’s encouraging, and we want that trend to continue.”
Bell agreed with that assessment, but he said he believes he is still climbing. He described the last few games as “amazing strides,” and said the process has been about more than just playing snaps.
He said he is “processing the game, understanding who I am as a player and as a person.”
That matters now, because the Eagles need help wherever they can find it. Sirianni wants Bell developing for the immediate future, while the team tries to get out of its slump. Roseman would love the longer view even more: a homegrown right tackle on a third-round rookie deal, which would remove a major pressure point heading into April.
Philadelphia currently owns the No. 6 overall pick in the April draft, and a tackle could be in play there. LSU’s Jordan Seaton could fit that spot, and Texas’ Trevor Goosby, Kentucky’s Lance Heard and Iowa’s Trevor Lauck are also mentioned as first-round-caliber tackles.
But if Bell keeps trending the way he is trending, the Eagles could spend that premium selection somewhere else. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart and Indiana wide receiver Charlie Becker are among the names floated as possibilities. Depending on the Jalen Hurts situation, quarterback could even enter the picture.
For now, though, Bell is giving the Eagles something they badly need: a real development story in the middle of a miserable season.
“Guys that love football, guys that are tough, guys that are smart football players have a tendency to, God willing, reach their ceiling,” Sirianni said. “And I think we’ll continue to see him on the rise because of that.”
“I’ve come a long way,” Bell said, with eyes on Sunday’s game vs. the Commanders. “And I’m looking to make a big jump.”
In Other News...
Howie Roseman May Be Headed For Another Risky Eagles Draft Bet
The Eagles path through the 2026 season could leave them picking earlier than usual in the 2027 draft, and if that happens, Howie Roseman may again lean into a familiar kind of gamble. Philadelphia has never been shy about betting on traits, especially when a defensive players upside is strong enough to make the rest of the room think twice, and Rosemans history suggests hes willing to keep making that kind of call if the board breaks right.
One name to watch is Stewart, an edge defender whose physical tools have put him on the radar as a potential first-round target. The attraction is obvious for a team that wants impact talent, but the concerns are just as real, with questions around decision-making and a suspension already part of the evaluation. If the Eagles do find themselves in position to add help early in the draft, the bigger question may not be whether Stewart fits the profile, but whether Roseman is ready to take the same kind of swing again. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Have A Backfield Problem They Can't Ignore
The Eagles running back room has gone from a strength to a concern in a hurry, with injuries thinning the group and leaving Elijah Mitchell and Jaydon Blue as the only healthy backs on hand. Mitchell, who arrived in Philadelphia this summer, was briefly cut before getting brought back, and he got on the field in Week 7 as the team tried to patch together a workable rotation.
Saquon Barkley is still the preferred option when hes available, but his recent injury issues have complicated the picture and forced the Eagles to look deeper down the depth chart. With Washington coming up in Week 8, the backfield situation now feels like one of the more pressing roster questions the Eagles have to sort out before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Look Thin In One Area Before Washington
The injury report keeps getting heavier for the Eagles as they work through the week before facing Washington, with a growing list of regulars missing their second straight practice. Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith were among six players sidelined again, leaving Philadelphia to manage a notable shortfall at a time when depth matters most. Fourteen others were still logged as limited or full participants, but the overall picture has the team juggling a lot more than a standard late-week tune-up.
Barkley is dealing with hamstring and back issues, while Smiths hamstring problem is creating real concern about whether he can make it back in time for another game. With Jihaad Campbell, Dontayvion Wicks, Jonathan Jones and Britain Covey also out again, the Eagles are suddenly looking thin in a few key spots as the Commanders game approaches. For a team trying to stay on schedule, the next practice report could carry plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]