The Philadelphia Eagles know the task that's at hand now that the preseason is over. They are the defending Super Bowl champs and know they will be getting everyone's best.
The Eagles will open up the 2025 regular season against the rival Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, and that matchup just got easier since the Cowboys decided to trade away their best defensive player, Micah Parsons, to the Green Bay Packers.
While the Cowboys continue to make a fool of themselves, the Eagles were making moves all over their roster. They had to release a bunch of different players this week, but one player who's sticking around is rookie center Drew Kendall, and he's the biggest winner of this preseason.
Rookie C Drew Kendall Is Biggest Winner From Eagles Preseason
Kendall was a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft by Philadelphia. He was brought in to compete with other guys along the interior, and he clearly won that battle. The Eagles waived guard Trevor Keegan on Aug. 27 before claiming G/C Willie Lampkin. After getting picked up, Philadelphia placed Lampkin on injured reserve with a leg injury.
Philadelphia's starting offensive line reads Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, and Lane Johnson from left to right. These guys are written in ink and will be the starters as long as everyone's healthy, but we know that's not realistic.
Although Kendall played center throughout his college career at Boston College and through training camp, he has been staying after practice to get some reps in at guard.
The Eagles threw him at guard in two preseason games, and he held his own in those outings. He played in 124 offensive snaps this preseason, logging a 75.3 offensive grade, 80.8 pass blocking grade, and a 75.4 run blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
Not only was he getting valuable reps in preseason, but he also played well in those outings. Jurgens, who made the move from guard to center, has been a critical asset for Kendall. When Eagles fans see these numbers and read how the rookie blocker is staying late at practice to improve his craft, it's no surprise that he's on the 53-man roster.
Yeah, he's only a rookie, but it seems like he's been winning over his coaches ever since April. The Eagles knew he was too good a player to let go, and if someone goes down with an injury along the interior, Kendall will be one of the first guys off the bench.