With the 2025 NFL Draft done, rookie minicamp is officially underway for the Philadelphia Eagles, giving head coach Nick Sirianni and the rest of the coaching staff a first look at this year’s rookie class, along with undrafted free agents.
It’s also a chance for other undrafted rookie players who received an invite or a tryout to make a strong impression on the coaching staff to earn a spot on the 90-man roster.
One player that is looking to catch the attention of the Eagles’ coaching staff is former South Carolina punter Kai Kroger. According to Geoff Mosher of the Philly Voice, Kroeger is with the Eagles on a tryout basis.
Name to keep an eye on for #Eagles rookie camp: P Kai Kroeger, from South Carolina.
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffPMosher) May 2, 2025
He's there on a tryout.
Second team All American. 47.8 yard per punt last year, ranked third in country. pic.twitter.com/2ozeWcQxoC
It was surprising to see the Eagles bring a punter to rookie minicamp, given that they already have Braden Mann. Mann has done an exceptional job as the Eagles’ full-time starter over the last two years. Last season, the 27-year-old Mann averaged 48.8 yards per punt and had 37 percent of his punts downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
That said, Mann’s job is likely not up for grabs heading into this season, but Kroger has some interesting stats on his resume. As Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice points out, Kroger has completed 7-of-10 passes for 205 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions, which likely comes from fake punt attempts.
P Kai Kroger is a name that stands out to me. He ran an abnormal number of fake punts in college. Career 7/10 passer for 205 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs. https://t.co/faYsawHy2d
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) May 2, 2025
Last year with the Gamecocks, Kroeger averaged 47.8 yards per punt (career-high), which was good for third in the country and helped him become a second-team All-American. Over his five-year career at the University of South Carolina, Kroeger averaged 44.6 yards per punt.
Since it's only a three-day tryout, there's only so much the Eagles will learn about Kroeger and the other guys. But if Mann got injured during training camp, for example, Philadelphia will have homework on Kroeger when looking for a replacement.