Former Miami Hurricane named one of ‘biggest risers’ by ESPN after strong Sunday at the NFL Combine
The Hurricanes have a plethora of players who could hear their names called in the first two days of the NFL Draft.
The Miami Hurricanes do not lack for representation among pundits’ mock drafts with less than two months to go until the 2026 NFL Draft.
Edge rusher Rueben Bain, Jr. should be a top ten pick with a ceiling that could take him inside the top five. OL Francis Mauigoa could end up being the first overall lineman selected. Akheem Mesidor also has first round potential for the Canes.
But someone else made a big name for himself on Sunday at the NFL Combine: offensive lineman Markel Bell.
ESPN put out their list of biggest risers on Day 4 of the Combine, and Bell found himself on the list.
Miami Hurricanes OT Markel Bell named as one of biggest risers by ESPN at the NFL Combine
This is what NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid of ESPN had to say about Bell:
“At 6-foot-9, 346 pounds, Bell is an offensive tackle prospect who surprisingly moved very well for his size. His sudden movement skills won’t wow you, but he’s an efficient mover who understands how to control his frame. Cleveland’s Dawand Jones and Houston’s Trent Brown are two comparisons that come to mind when evaluating Bell, as they all are massive blockers who can dominate at their size. Bell has a mixture of late Day 2 and early Day 3 grades from teams, but many view him as a developmental prospect with potential.”
Bell’s measurables alone opened some eyes. At 6-9, 346 pounds, with an arm length of 36 3/8 inches and a wingspan of 87 1/8 inches, Bell has rare length that will likely at least intrigue some teams who would hope to develop the potential to go with those physical traits.
But then he also turned some heads when he got all 346 pounds moving in the 40-yard dash, posting a 5.36 time that, frankly, is good for his size.
Bell manned the left tackle spot in 2024 and 2025 for the Hurricanes, and last year, he posted an 83.5 Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade. He didn’t allow a sack in 558 pass blocking snaps, with 15 pressures allowed.
Bell will hear his name called in the draft. Again, those tools are too enticing for a team to not take a chance on. It’s just a matter of if he hears his named called on Friday or Saturday during the draft.
And if Reid and ESPN are on point, it very well could be a Friday night call from a team’s front office during the draft.
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