Eagles Draft Giant Tackle, Secure Johnson's Future

0:00It's April 25th. I'm Corey with The Story. This is NFL News Today, driven by AI and built for football fans. Philadelphia Eagles just snagged a giant of a tackle in the third round. Marquell Bell at the 68th overall pick. This 6'9", 346 lb. beast from Miami helped lead the hurricanes to the national title game back in January. He's the long-term bet to replace Lane Johnson at right tackle, but that day's way off. Johnson turns 36 next month, but he's still locking down that edge like an all pro. No sacks allowed in four of the last five seasons, and his pressure rate sits at just 1.6% over the past two years. The guy's banged up from a long career, yet when he's out there, quarterback's sleep easy. Fans and analysts see this as smart depth building, not a panic move. Johnson's talked about playing till 40, like Andrew Whitworth or Jason Peters, though family pulls at him too. He's growing up, dad's health stuff. The draft pick screams confidence in a few more elite years from him.

1:03Bell's a true project, needing work on knee-bend and footwork post-nap. Eagles planned to redshirt him behind vets like Jordan Malata, Fred Johnson, and Lane himself, maybe shifting to guard later like some big guys do. Think Cam Jurgens' rookie year, lots of practice reps, film study, pre-season snaps under new coach Chris Cooper. Bell's gotta be great on this one, stacking the line for the future while Johnson's still dropping dimes on protection. Smart play in a loaded position group.