The Philadelphia Eagles are bracing for life without Jason Kelce, taking Nebraska center Cam Jurgens with their second-round selection — one of only five picks for the team in the draft. Kelce has given no indication 2022 will be his last year in the NFL, but he has flirted with retirement over the last several seasons.
In case the 34-year-old Kelce does decide to retire, the Eagles have his replacement lined up in Jurgens. Kelce knew the Jurgens pick was coming, as he was the player who endorsed the Eagles to draft him.
“I knew we were taking him,” Kelce said on Bleacher Report’s draft coverage over the weekend. “So, this is my favorite player in the draft. I’m not just saying that because we picked him. The Eagles have been using me to evaluate some of the centers coming out, and of all the guys that I’ve looked at like for the past two to three years, out of all the guys that compare the most to myself, this guy is him.
“This guy is a freak athletically. He has the best chance to be a difference-maker at the center position. I like this kid a lot. I really do.”
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Jurgens allowed just one sack on 1,016 pass-blocking snaps in his college career at Nebraska. He also allowed just four quarterback hits and 29 hurries in that span. Jurgens has played 2,066 snaps in his career at center and is expected to remain there in Philadelphia.
Now Jurgens gets to learn under the tutelage of offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland and Kelce for a year … perhaps even longer, if Kelce wishes to continue his career past this season.
“For the Philadelphia Eagles, for us, having elite play at the center position, it’s important,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. “We felt like this guy, he was different than the centers who have come out the last couple of years. We think he has a chance to be really, really good. Getting to learn from the best ever, we thought was a way for him to be even better.”
The Eagles are a match made in heaven for Jurgens, who already was excited to work for Stoutland once the Eagles selected him. Working with Kelce is even better.
“I watched a lot of his tape and seeing a guy that’s able to move like he is and play as hard and with as much intensity as he does, that’s how I want to play and that’s how I want to model my game and be an athlete on the field,” Jurgens said. “Just because you’re an O-lineman doesn’t mean you can’t run down field and knock a safety out. I want to do stuff like he does and be able to fit into their system as well as I can. I’m stoked to be able to be in there.”
