Drew Kendall Could Be the Eagles’ Answer at Left Guard

Landon Dickerson is heading to the injured reserve after a poor week 1, this is a player who has overcome constant injuries in his career to become one of the premier guards in football.

With Dickerson going down, Philadelphia is going to have to fill that role for the offensive line, which has already been quite shaky in week 1. The most likely player to step into the spot is second-year lineman Drew Kendall.

While the Eagles have not made any official announcements on offensive line configuration, Kendall has been involved at both guard and center during the offseason. During training camp when Dickerson was out, Kendall also took that left guard spot, which primes him up for the first opportunity to get the position. Now obviously losing a three-time Pro Bowl guard is detrimental, but instead of having to shift the entire offensive line Kendall could provide a young option.

Drew Kendall was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, out of Boston College. During his time at BC he was mainly a center, where he made 37 starts and earned himself first-team All-ACC honors in his final season at Boston. 

Philadelphia drafted him with that guard/center versatility, which has been honed in on during the off-season and training camps. Another very possible solution could be moving Cam Jurgens to the left guard position and let Kendall play center, which is his more natural position. Obviously the Birds want to make as little changes as possible so they have better chemistry up front.

Coming out of Boston College, Kendall was drafted for things like his footwork, intelligence, and ability to move in space. This could be perfect for what the Eagles need right now, since the Eagles are using more zone concepts and are asking the linemen to get to the second level. 

This could be especially important after watching week 1, where the Eagles had a few explosive run plays but overall struggled with creating clean run lanes.

One of the main concerns with Kendall is experience, last season he played in seven games as a rookie, with 1 start in the final regular season game. The Tennessee Titans will test him early if Kendall gets that start at left guard, especially with a skilled veteran defensive tackle like Jeffery Simmons, who is coming off an 11-sack season.

Replacing Landon Dickerson won’t be easy, but for Drew Kendall, this could be his first legitimate opportunity to prove his worth. 

PHOTO CREDIT: ERIC HARTLINE - IMAGN IMAGES