Not since Brandon Brooks left after 2019 have the Philadelphia Eagles had stability at right guard, but maybe that will change in the near future.
Brandon Brooks was the Eagles’ anchor at right guard for four years. Since he left in 2019, a revolving cast of characters from Isaac Seumalo, Jack Driscoll, Nate Herbig, Cam Jurgens, to Mekhi Becton have played the position.
Jurgens bided his time there for a year until Jason Kelce retired and was moved to center, which was the position he played for four years at the University of Nebraska.
That brings us to Drew Kendall. He was a center at Boston College for four years, but he was trained as a guard before the BC coaches suggested he try the center spot when he arrived in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Unless something goes off the rails, Kendall will forever be a backup to Jurgens for as long as he remains with the Eagles. Jurgens is just 25 and recently signed an extension keeping him in Philadelphia through 2029.
“He’s one of the best if not the best in the game right now,” said Kendall about Jurgens. “It’s really an incredible opportunity for me to come in and learn from him and study how he operates, how he gets his jobs done, and how he goes about his day to day. I can’t wait. He’s a very special player and I can’t wait to learn from him.”
There could be a window of opportunity for him to maybe find playing time at guard. It’s a position his father, Pete, mostly played for 13 years in the NFL after being a first-round draft pick of the Seahawks in 1996. Perhaps a redshirt year similar to what Jurgens took as a rookie when he played just 35 offensive snaps (three percent), awaits Kendall this season as he re-learns to play the position.
Who knows, maybe he reacclimates quickly and can challenge players, such as Tyler Steen, Matt Pryor, and Trevor Keegan to start this season. Maybe he becomes a fixture up front, the way Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, and Landon Dickerson have become.
“I’ve always tried to pride myself in that versatility even though I played all center at BC, but playing a little guard beforehand in my first year there,” said the 6-4, 308-pound lineman. “It’s something I’m continuously working on in the off-seasons. I’m making sure I’m getting my snaps and playing center but also at the same time getting in that two-point stance and playing some guard. I’ve been drilling that a lot over the past couple months here. I’m confident in it.”
Kendall knows that the way to make a roster and stay on the roster as an offensive lineman is to learn more than just one position.
“I think that’s a big thing for all interior guys,” he said. “It’s kind of difficult to be just one position. Even tackle, you gotta play both sides. I think that was a big thing I knew coming out of BC that I was going to have to continuously work on. I didn’t quite get the amount of reps I would have liked beforehand playing some guard, but I’m constantly working on it now.”
