Markel Bell is an offensive tackle from the University of Miami. He was the tackle opposite of Francis Mauigoa, a projected top ten pick. Bell stands at a towering 6’9 and is nearly 350 pounds.
Bell was not a traditional prospect, and he was nearly not a prospect at all. He has zero stars coming out of 2022, but he was determined to change that. After some development and progression, he earned himself a four-star recruit status. He took over the full-time LT job at Miami in 2025, where he absolutely dominated. He had over a thousand offensive snaps as a starter, and he allowed zero sacks and just one QB hit.
Bell has the obvious strength of simply being a terrifying figure. His frame alone will have EDGE rushers fearing the snap of the ball. His freakish size doesn’t stop at just being 6’9 350. His 36 3/8” arm length puts him in the 98th percentile.
Bell, unsurprisingly, uses his size and strength to his advantage. He throws defenders around like nothing. When he decides to keep them around, his grip strength is unbelievable. Once he has a latch on the rusher, they aren’t going anywhere.
Bell brings legitimate concerns as a run blocker, with that being the reason he’s expected to be drafted in the mid-rounds. His main struggle is getting to the second level and sticking blocks when he does get there.
Bell also has leverage concerns that come with being 6’9. Defenders will always be able to get lower and have the leverage advantage against him. His size does have a few negatives; another is the inability to recover after getting beaten on a move.
Bell is the biggest player in the draft, and perhaps the strongest as well. Pairing him with a good offensive line coach is a must, but if he’s developed properly, he could turn out to be a steal in round four or five.
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