Jason Kelce says he helped the Eagles pick Cam Jurgens as his eventual replacement

The Eagles selecting Cam Jurgens with the No. 51 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft wasn’t exactly the most popular pick they could’ve made at that spot.

If you’re looking to feel better about the move, well, perhaps Jason Kelce can convince you it was a good selection. The legendary Eagles center spoke about Jurgens shortly after the card was turned in on Friday evening.

Full transcript below:

“Yeah, I knew we were taking him. 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, like, evaluate some of the centers that have been coming out. And of all the guys that I’ve looked at for the past two, three years … out of all the guys compared the most to myself, this guy is him. He is so athletic, so fast. You see him out in space. He runs, he’s a natural athlete. You see the fluidity. He played tight end, a position convert. He’s been playing offensive line for two years. 4.92 [second 40-yard dash], 1.7 [second 10-yard split], 7.19 three cone. 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.”

Some will be convinced that if Kelce likes him, they should like him too. It’s difficult to say he can’t provide some valuable insight.

Of course, Kelce is not being paid nor empowered to make the final decision on Eagles draft picks. That’s ultimately up to Howie Roseman. And though the player might turn out to be pretty good, there are fair questions to raise about the value of taking a center who won’t even play in Year 1 at No. 51.

And is it a definite that Kelce won’t be back in 2023? One would guess not if he had so much influence on the Jurgens pick. But is it truly a non-zero chance that Kelce returns again?

Perhaps it’ll go as many envision and Jurgens will seamlessly step in for Kelce next year. That seems to be the Eagles’ plan.