Eagles Rookie Center Makes His Case As Team’s Perfect Pick After Jason Kelce Comment

Kelce has been a big influence on Kendall.

Former Boston College Eagles offensive lineman Drew Kendall speaks to the media. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles selected a backup center to Cam Jurgens in the fifth round of the NFL draft last week by picking up Boston College's Drew Kendall.

He seems to be a good fit for the Eagles, especially after some comments he made during his introductory press conference on Friday. Kendall admitted his biggest NFL influence has been Jason Kelce, who played as center for the Eagles for 13 seasons before retiring after the 2023 season.

Kendall shared that he studied Kelce's game the most before being drafted. He couldn't have picked a better player to emulate as the city of Philadelphia adores Kelce and his game. The Eagles obviously do too as Kelce stayed with the team for his entire career.

The center Drew Kendall studied coming up at the position? Jason Kelce. He noted Kelce’s ability to pull. He said he recognizes what it means to play center in this city. pic.twitter.com/VrLhGSdjsx

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) May 2, 2025

The Eagles just signed Kelce's successor Jurgens to a four-year, $68 million contract extension before the draft. He's set to be in Philadelphia through the 2029 season, which sets Kendall up to be a key backup.

---