Nick Sirianni once said, “I think anytime you go through adversity, it makes you stronger if you allow it to.” Once you have reached the top of the mountain, the hardest thing to do is remain there. But when we talk about the Eagles soaring high, Sirianni has a vision for the 2025 season. With the “Tush Push” under scrutiny, likely to be banned in the coming league meeting, the Eagles need to double down on their efforts to retain their Super Bowl champion title. And Nick Sirianni needs players who can thrive in multiple roles. And if their 2025 draft class is any sign, Sirianni already has a few pieces that fit that mould.

The Eagles have drafted a total of 10 impactful players this year. From LB Jihaad Campbell in the first round to OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland in the sixth round. Nine out of these will greatly add to Jalen Hurts’ offensive presses and defensive stances. While QB Kyle McCord will be a long-term developmental prospect. When we talk about Sirianni’s love of versatility, he loves players that can create confusion and throw the opponents in disarray. And there’s one name that quickly pops to mind from this year’s draft class. And that’s none other than C/G Drew Kendall.

As per a post on X by the official account of Philadelphia Eagles, they’ve signed Drew Kendall to be part of Jalen Hurts’ offense. The Eagles wrote, very simply, “We’ve signed C/G Drew Kendall.” And that was that. Kendall is officially the 6th player out of the draft class this year to be signed. 

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Drew Kendall reportedly signed a $4.5M contract as his rookie deal. And as a center, and a guard, he’s the exact dual threat that checks all of Nick Sirianni’s boxes. The Eagles will give Kendall a shot at both positions, center as well as guard. How he performs in the dual role will be seen when the spring OTAs begin, but the team has high hopes for him.

Drew Kendall is an Eagle through and through. Back in Boston College, his team was also the Eagles. And now he has the chance to fly with the defending Super Bowl champs. He has the football genes to kick things into high gear as well. Kendall’s father, Pete, also played center at Boston College. Back in 1996, Pete Kendall was drafted as a first-rounder to the Seattle Seahawks and went on to carve out a 13 year long NFL career with multiple teams.

So we know exactly what kind of greatness we can expect from Drew Kendall moving forward. And he brings the energy to match that expectation. On his rookie minicamp presser, he said, “I pride myself on doing a lot of things – just doing whatever the coaches asked me to do and doing at the highest level possible. So just looking forward to that.”

And while we wait to see what kind of plays Drew Kendall will be packing in the big leagues, it’s also interesting to note his inspirations. His biggest inspiration for the game is his father, Pete, of course. But there’s one more legend that has helped shape Drew’s plays. And incidentally, that legend is an Eagles’ star, too.

Drew Kendall’s inspiration well runs deep

Drew Kendall begins his journey with the Eagles officially after his signing. But that’s not where his bond with the Eagles began. Kendall has been a devout fan of the former Eagles center and super bowl champ, Jason Kelce. And this makes his induction into Philly all the more exciting. Kendall recently said, “my favorite center to watch was Jason Kelce. – So, I’m very familiar. He did amazing, incredible things here, so it’s a very special building, a very special place to play center. I take that with a lot of honor.”

Jason Kelce had a massive 13 year-long career with the Eagles at center. If you draw a parallel here, Drew’s first inspiration, his dad, also played center for 13 years in the NFL. Kendall particularly loves Jason’s iconic ability to pull after snaps. “I loved the way he pulled – He got out in space and really attacked the second level. He got on the second level really fast, and really stressed the linebackers. I thought that was really good, and that really made the run game go.” And that wasn’t all. Kendall further stated that, for him, Jason Kelce was “probably the most influential center” in the NFL.

“What he did in Philly is incredible. Just such a great talent and such a great guy. So, just watching him on film, and watching his press conferences, he’s just a stand-up guy. He’s definitely changed the game.” Following the footsteps of Kelce, fans can wonder if they will get to see a similar story with Drew Kendall. He has a lot to prove, but with inspirations like Pete Kendall and Jason Kelce, we can understand why Nick Sirianni chose to add Kendall to Hurts’ offense. With many changes and adversities likely to come in the Eagles’ way, we can’t wait to see this pay off in the biggest way possible.