Markel Bell feels like a Chiefs tackle swing worth taking

When it comes to tackle play, there is a sliding scale of traits and ability. Some players, like Mitch Schwartz, certainly weren't the most physically gifted, but their polish and intelligence as blockers made them long-term answers. On the other end of the scale, there are players who have so many traits that their shortcomings are easier to mitigate. To put it simply, it's really hard to move or get around a human who is 6-9, 346 lbs., with 36-inch arms. That human (maybe? might actually be a grizzly bear) is Markel Bell.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a great illustration of that on their roster right now. Josh Simmons and Markel Bell are very different body types. Simmons is such a high-level athlete that he can mitigate his average length and size. Bell, on the other hand, could only dream of having the movement skills of Simmons, but his natural gifts create a margin for error.

Adjusting for the strangeness around some of the combine measurements from the last year (using pro-day data), the Chiefs have never drafted a tackle with sub-34-inch arms. They had a player similar to Bell in Orlando Brown Jr., and now they have a luxury that's being overlooked.

To keep close tabs on the 2026 NFL Draft and the top prospects for the Kansas City Chiefs, make sure to bookmark our Arrowhead Addict Big Board. Our custom big board is tailored toward the Chiefs’ needs and thresholds.

NFL Draft Profile: Markel Bell, OT, Miami

1. Markel Bell's background
2. Markel Bell's strengths
3. Markel Bell's weaknesses
4. Markel Bell's fit with the Chiefs

Markel Bell's background

Age: 21.8

Height: 6-7

Weight: 345 LBS.

Hands: 9 inches

Arms: 36 3/8 inches

Tape Exposure: Notre Dame (2025), Texas A&M (2025), Indiana (2025)

Bell attended Cleveland Central High School, where he was a three-year letterman on varsity. In addition to football, he played basketball as he hit a growth spurt that took him from 5-9 to 6-4. He started at left tackle for the entirety of his high school career. Despite that, he was a zero-star recruit. Bell received several JUCO offers and committed to Holmes Community College, where he started at left tackle for two years, earning all-conference and all-region honors. He entered the portal as the top JUCO offensive line transfer prospect. He committed to Miami for 2023, where he started 21 games.

Markel Bell's strengths

Size

Unteachable length and frame. Ranks in the 99th percentile of height, 96th percentile of weight, 97th percentile of wingspan, and 98th percentile of arm length.

Movement Skills

Surprisingly agile for his size, a resource down the field as a blocker in the run and screen game. Faster feet than given credit for. Plays very wide, making it borderline impossible to get around him.

Power

More than just size, he has a natural anchor that, when he puts it down, the rep is over. His power rarely allows him to get beat to the inside.

Markel Bell's weaknesses

Play Height

Often bends at the waist, guilty of leaning forward too much, causing him to get off balance (see viral rep against Derrick Moore from the Senior Bowl).

Penalties/ Track Record

Six false starts in 2025, paired with only one full season as a starter at the FBS level.

Balance/ Footwork

Feet can get him in trouble. Top-heavy, he can trip over his feet. The bigger the tree, the bigger the fall. Struggles to transition his kick step to his anchor. Will struggle in outside zone concepts and is best moving downhill.

Markel Bell's fit with the Chiefs

The stigma around left and right tackle has mostly been dispelled at this point. Teams are smart enough now to not just attack the left side with their best edge rushers, but instead lock in on the weaker link of the two tackles. With that being said, Bell could spend a year transitioning to right tackle behind Jaylon Moore. Bell is still fairly raw but dripping with traits, giving him a runway to develop into a great long-term play. He's got plenty of untapped potential and is worth an early Day 3 selection.

Bell is an enormous, long-armed tackle with rare size and powerful hands, allowing him to overwhelm defenders at the point of attack and create strong displacement in the run game while flashing the ability to mirror and eliminate smaller defenders in space. He plays with an upright, somewhat stiff style and inconsistent lower-body mechanics, leading to balance issues, struggles against speed and counters, and difficulty sustaining blocks or anchoring consistently versus power. With only one full season as a starter, he remains an ascending but raw prospect who must improve leverage, foot trust, and overall consistency to reach his ceiling.

Round Grade: Grey Chip (Day 3 Grade)

Shades of: Patrick Paul

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