Before we truly get into the depths of the off-season, it’s time to review the 2022 draft class. I won’t review anyone unless they played enough snaps (so this will be a very short series!), and I did break down each pick’s college film, so I will use that as the basis for breaking down their film. Next up is Cam Jurgens. I know what you are thinking... he didn’t play! We did get to see Jurgens in the preseason though, and I thought it would be good to remind ourselves of what we saw and then speculate over whether he should be competing at guard next year or developing at center. Here is the link to my breakdown of Jurgens' college film.

Previously: Jordan Davis

Strengths

Let’s start, as we did with Jordan Davis, by looking at what I said about him and support it with some clips of Jurgens in the preseason.

+ Lightning quick off the snap. Can get to first and second-level defenders in a hurry.

+ He’s extremely fast and athletic for a lineman, excellent in space in the screen game, and can get very low with his pads to move linebackers at the second level. Former tight end and it shows.

+ Extremely good lateral movement and athleticism to pull and can also execute reach blocks, fits the zone game perfectly.

+ Plays aggressive and will hit DTs firmly even when in pass protection. Strong hands and grip to maintain his blocks at times too.

+ Can take on bigger DTs and handle them when he anchors well, but doesn’t do this consistently.

+ Quick mentally too, not just physically quick. Has a tough edge to him, finishes hard, competitive.

+ I would add to this... I was really impressed by his strength in the run game too. He got a lot of push in the preseason (yes, I know he was mainly against backups).

Weaknesses

- Struggles to maintain his blocks at times, especially when he loses at the snap, and will resort to holding, causing quite a few penalties.

- The Eagles know way more than me, but you just can’t see versatility on tape. He looks and plays like a center. Former tight end, you would assume if the frame is maxed out.

- Does everything so fast, when he misses, he misses badly. Looks hurried in his movement rather than controlled.

- Has the athleticism to get to defenders but doesn’t always sustain the blocks.

Overall

This is what I said about Jurgens when I watched him last year.

Projecting forward, I see him as a little bit of a boom/bust type of player. If he doesn’t improve his strength then he might be a liability in pass protection against bigger defensive tackles. But, I can see why the Eagles took him in the second round. Jeff Stoutland must be very excited at the thought of developing him over the next few years. Jason Kelce is an athletic freak and there is pretty much no one else I have seen like him at center in a long time. Stylistically, Cam Jurgens might just be the closest match that I have seen. I had some questions about the pick at the time (and I still do) but we have all seen first-hand the impact that an athletic center like Kelce can have on an offense. Who doesn’t want to see that continue after his retirement?

Well, despite all of my better judgment... I am going to be predicting Jurgens to go into the ‘boom’ category when he replaces Jason Jelce, despite only seeing him play in one preseason. I have seen enough. The athleticism and ability to get to the 2nd level are elite. Honestly, Jurgens is my favorite player I have ever watched in the preseason. Ever. Just go up and look at the clips again! He moves like a rocket. It was like watching a prime Jason Kelce at times. The flaws that I saw in college just were not there as much either, which is a huge credit to Jeff Stoutland.

I am so conflicted about Jurgens. I really, really want to see him play. I think he flashed so much last preseason and I really want to see him get a chance to start. But, I just see a center and not a guard. I might be horribly wrong (and I hope I am) but I can’t really see Jurgens starting next to Jason Kelce. If it works, it might be excellent and will be incredibly fun to watch. But it feels light and they just feel too similar. I can’t picture him as a guard next to Kelce but... it doesn’t mean he can’t do it. BLG and Jimmy Kempski had a fantastic discussion about this on a recent BGN Radio podcast, too (Episode #323).

If I really had to guess, I don’t think Jurgens will be the starting right guard this season. I think the Eagles will go for someone bigger (either Tyler Steen or a new signing) but I would love to see Jurgens get an opportunity to play. Use him as a 6th offensive lineman more if you have to (he lined up at tight end a few times last year) just so I can watch him play. Bring on the preseason.

RELATED READING: How will the Eagles handle the right guard position?