Eagles Film Review: Drew Kendall looks like a budget version of Cam Jurgens coming out of college

A closer look at Philadelphia’s sixth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

With the 2025 NFL Draft over, it’s time for some film rooms on the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie class. I will try to get to all 10 draft picks and the UDFAs over the next few weeks. Loads of scouting reports will say very similar things, so I have tried to include film clips to back up everything and I will talk about the player’s fit with the Eagles at the end of the piece. I managed to get the All22 for several rookies, but I can’t share those clips on my Twitter accounts (or I risk getting blocked), so I’ve used a few other accounts here. Let’s go!

You can check out my podcast feed here to hear more from me. I have a Patreon linked to my podcast if you want to support me further. Due to being unable to share All22 on Twitter, I am doing All22 watch-alongs on every Eagles’ rookie on the Patreon, which is really cool!

Previously: Jihaad Campbell / Andrew Mukuba / Ty Robinson / Mac McWilliams / Smael Mondon

Video Clips

Strengths

+ He is an exceptionally fluid and quicker mover, as you can see in the clips above. He’s an ideal fit for the Eagles’ zone-blocking schemes. He’s capable of pulling or climbing to the second level. The testing backs up the film!

I put a lot of stock into this testing measure that Josh Norris goes on about, and Kendall just missed it!

+ He’s not a raw prospect who needs a ton of work. He’s an experienced center who is technically strong and understands how to handle stunts and pick up simulated pressures.

+ Strong in combo blocks well and often wins with good hand placement rather than absolute strength. He plays with urgency and gets off his double team quickly when required.

+ He can survive bull rushes and anchor better than expected despite size limitations.

+ 3-year starter, team captain, and the son of longtime NFL offensive lineman Pete Kendall. He checks all the intangible boxes!

+ 31 consecutive starts to close out college career; only missed one game following hand surgery.

Weaknesses

– He lacks ideal bulk, length, and drive strength. You don’t see him generate movement or overwhelm defenders at the point of attack. He’s not going to create huge lanes in the run game.

I posted his RAS as a compliment earlier. However, if you focus solely on the size and bench press, a glaring issue becomes apparent. He’s a finesse player who wins with angles and technique, not raw force.

– Played only center in college; unproven at guard and offers no tackle versatility. Personally, I couldn’t care less about this, but it probably pushed him down the board of many NFL teams that want interior linemen who can play center and guard.

– He can struggle to maintain his blocks against stronger defensive linemen. He ends up reaching and off balance too often. Some of this is down to his pad level, where he can play too high.

His anchor is a lot better than I expected before watching the film. However, that doesn’t mean he will be able to repeat this at the next level. I expect him to struggle early on against bigger defensive linemen.

Overall

I’m a massive believer in having backups that play similarly to starters. I don’t like it when teams have to adjust their strategy due to an injury. The backup will never be as good as the starter (top analysis right there), but some backups allow you to run the same stuff without having to alter the offense. I don’t think Drew Kendall is physical enough to start, but he has the movement traits to fit what the Eagles do. Kendall looks like a budget version of Cam Jurgens coming out of college. Therefore, I’m a huge fan of this one.

As a reminder, this is what I wrote about Cam Jurgens coming out:

I am very glad he is sitting for a year behind Kelce, as I think he needs to work on his strength and technique. I think he is a perfect fit for a zone-based running game and will excel out in space, on screen passes and on pin/pull concepts. There are not many more athletic offensive linemen that I have seen.

The lack of strength at the point of attack is a legitimate concern. Considering he is a former tight end, I imagine there are questions about how much more size and strength he can realistically gain. I wonder if he is maxed out already. When he plays with good leverage he has proven that he can hold his own in pass projection.

Look familiar? Now, this doesn’t mean Kendall will be Cam Jurgens. Jurgens might be the most athletic interior offensive line prospect I’ve ever studied. He moves completely differently from Kendall, as you would expect. Jurgens went in the 2nd round for a reason!

I think Kendall might have the talent to step in immediately as the Eagles’ backup center. He might take a bit of time to adjust whilst he builds up his strength, and it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see Landon Dickerson move to center if Cam Jurgens were to get hurt. Personally, I would give Kendall the first shot if Jurgens gets hurt. I think technically he should be good enough to play early on. I like his profile and his fit in this offense.

Overall, Drew Kendall is an intelligent and athletic center who is at his best when on the move. He’s quick, mobile, and technically sound already. However, his lack of size, length, and power currently caps his upside. It will be interesting to see if he can gain some mass while maintaining his quickness.

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here.