The Philadelphia Eagles may have found their right tackle of the future in the third round, and the early returns from OTAs are already turning heads. Markel Bell, the 6-foot-9, 346-pound offensive tackle out of Miami, has been running with the first-team offense during organized team activities with Lane Johnson not participating. Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata had some massive praise for the rookie.

“Markel is a big fella,” Mailata said. “I don’t know where we found him. They said they found him out of Miami, but that’s a lie. He’s not of this planet.”

That is some serious endorsement from one of the best offensive linemen in football.

Bell’s measurables are absurd

Look, I know a lot of the media pundits came out after the draft and said Bell was a reach in the third round. They said his ceiling was maybe a fourth- or fifth-round pick. But this guy is already getting first-team reps at OTAs, and his physical profile is absolutely ridiculous. An 87-inch wingspan. A 5.36 40-yard dash at 346 pounds. And he did not give up a single sack last season. You can call it a reach all you want, but Markel Bell can play football.

And this is where Howie Roseman’s brilliance shows up again. Go back to draft night. We recently got that clip of Roseman calling Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan trying to trade up to pick No. 19 to select Monroe Freeling. I said it on draft night: once Freeling fell out of that top 10, top 15 range, the Eagles should pounce.

He could have been their tackle of the future. Philadelphia ended up trading up to grab Makai Lemon instead, stepping over the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the fact that Roseman was actively trying to get Freeling tells you everything you need to know about how the front office views the offensive line situation.

Roseman sees the need. He always does. And when he couldn’t land Freeling, he pivoted to Bell in the third round. That is textbook Howie Roseman. The man is always three moves ahead, always projecting what the roster needs to look like a year or two down the road.

The Lane Johnson question

I don’t have to sit here and tell you what Lane Johnson means to this organization. He’s been a cornerstone of this offensive line for over a decade. But Roseman has to plan for life after Johnson, and that reality is creeping closer whether we like it or not.

When the Eagles eventually lose Johnson to retirement, they’re not just losing the on-field production. They’re losing one of the most respected veteran leaders in that locker room. He’s one of those constants who the young guys look up to, who they learn from every single day. He handles his business like a professional in every sense of the word.

So the Eagles have serious questions on the offensive line. We’ve talked about Landon Dickerson and whether his head is fully in it after that restructured deal. We’ve talked about Cam Jurgens and whether he can hold up physically over the next couple of seasons. And now the right tackle position looms as the next domino.

Why this matters long-term

Best case scenario? Bell develops behind Johnson this season, learns how a true pro operates at the position, and when Lane does hang it up, the Eagles have a transition already in place. Philadelphia wouldn’t have to burn a first- or second-round pick next year trying to find their tackle of the future because the guy is already in the building.

That is the Howie Roseman blueprint, and it has been for years. Build through the trenches. Get ahead of roster needs in the draft before they become emergencies. And when a pick falls to you that the rest of the league doesn’t value as highly as you do, trust your board and pull the trigger.

Bell definitely won’t have to start this season, and honestly, that’s the ideal outcome. Let him sit behind one of the best right tackles of his generation, soak up everything Johnson has to offer, and be ready when his number gets called.

Lane Johnson has not been participating in Eagles OTAs, with Bell receiving first-team reps in his absence.

Now, selfishly, Eagles fans need Johnson to stick around as long as he possibly can. Both for his own legacy and for the good of this team. But if Roseman managed to find Johnson’s replacement in the third round while everyone else was calling it a reach, that is the kind of move that separates elite general managers from the rest of the pack. And Howie Roseman has been running laps around these other GMs for a long time now.