With the NFL Combine now complete, teams are beginning to host prospects for pre-draft visits. The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting their pre-draft visitors underway by hosting Miami OT Markel Bell, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic.
The Steelers are hosting Miami OT Markel Bell today for a Top 30 visit.
At 6-9 and 346 pounds, he’s a massive human being. A Senior Bowl participant, he’s projected to be drafted late Day 2 or early Day 3.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) March 6, 2026
With OT Broderick Jones’ health a serious question mark heading into the season, offensive tackle has rocketed up the team’s list of needs. Bell is a projected Day 2 selection who measured in at 6092 and 342 pounds at the Combine while running a 5.36 40-yard dash. Bell has 36 3/8″ arms and was a participant in the 2026 Senior Bowl after not allowing a sack during his 2025 campaign at Miami. He also allowed just nine pressures in 2025, as Miami made a run to the National Championship.
In our scouting report, Josh Carney compared Bell to Tyler Polumbus and believes he’s best suited as a developmental prospect.
“He wasn’t asked to do much traditional run blocking and driving in college, and in pass protection everything was pretty quick, keeping him from being on a true island time and again. His feet are inconsistent in pass protection, too, and he’s susceptible to inside rushes. He reminds me a lot of former NFL journeyman Tyler Polumbus due to his size, but he’s a left tackle only right now. The size and length are worth taking a shot on, particularly late on Day 2. He just needs to land with the right offensive line coach and in a situation where he doesn’t need to play heavy snaps right away.”
Offensive line wasn’t a position the Steelers seemed to focus on during their Combine meetings, but they’re getting a look at Bell ahead of the draft. Troy Fautanu’s job is pretty much set at right tackle, while the expectation was that Jones and Dylan Cook could compete for the left tackle job. But Jones may not be ready for training camp, and the Steelers released Calvin Anderson earlier this week. Adding another offensive tackle would make sense, especially with Cook in the final year of his deal, and Bell is intriguing as a developmental tackle with strong physical tools.
If the Steelers don’t add an offensive tackle in free agency, they’ll likely target one early in the draft. With Bell a likely Day 2 selection, that could be a sweet spot for the Steelers to add a piece at offensive tackle to compete with Cook and be a potential long-term starter option.
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