Lane Johnson just turned 36. That sentence alone feels strange to say, considering how dominant he still looks whenever he takes the field. At times, it genuinely feels like the Philadelphia Eagles' right tackle could keep playing forever. Logic, however, says he won't. Eventually, Father Time catches up with everyone, even future Hall of Fame offensive linemen.
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Philadelphia understands that. That's why the Eagles spent part of this offseason investing in a succession plan. His name is Markel Bell. Philadelphia invested the 68th overall selection in Round 3 of the most recent NFL draft to acquire him.
Currently, he remains the lone member of the 2026 draft class who remains unsigned. Still, he's at OTAs, and it appears that his coaches are already giving him a heavy workload.
Markel Bell continues looking like Lane Johnson's heir apparent
The Eagles haven't publicly announced Bell as Lane Johnson's eventual replacement. They don't need to, not right now, but at the same time, actions often reveal far more than press conferences do.
And one small detail from a recent OTA practice open to media members felt worth paying attention to. With Johnson absent from voluntary workouts, it was Bell who stepped in at right tackle alongside the first-team offense. Not Fred Johnson. Not Myles Hinton. And not Cameron Williams. That doesn't happen accidentally.
It's still only May, and nobody should overreact to offseason practice rotations. Coaches experiment constantly during this phase of the calendar. Reps shift. Evaluations evolve. Depth charts remain fluid. Still, this didn't feel insignificant either.
Philadelphia clearly sees something in Bell. The Eagles have spent years developing one of the NFL's premier offensive line cultures, and identifying future contributors before others do has become part of the organization's identity.
Bell fits the profile of the type of player this franchise loves to mold: athletic, developmental, and physically gifted enough to handle a major role eventually. The larger reality remains unavoidable.
Lane Johnson won't play forever, no matter how much Eagles fans may wish otherwise. Replacing a player of his caliber may prove impossible in a literal sense, but that doesn't stop Philadelphia from preparing early for life after one of the greatest offensive linemen in franchise history. And based on what was visible during OTAs, Markel Bell still appears firmly positioned as the leading candidate to inherit that responsibility eventually.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Markel Bell saw first-string OTA practice reps in Lane Johnson's absence