Drew Kendall is the latest talented Eagles center. He’ll have Pro Bowl influences at the position.

Jason Kelce may have earned himself unofficial mayor of Philadelphia status thanks to his actions on and off the field over a 13-year period, but his influence transcends city limits.

Drew Kendall, a fifth-round pick for the Eagles out of Boston College, is living proof of Kelce‘s impact. The 23-year-old center/guard’s father — Pete Kendall — was an offensive tackle in the NFL for 13 years, yet Drew cited Kelce as his favorite tape to watch as a budding football player in Norwell, Mass.

“In my lifetime, [Kelce is] probably the most influential center there’s been playing in the National Football League,” Kendall said Friday during the first day of rookie minicamp. “What he did in Philly was incredible. Just such a great player and such a great guy. Just watching him on film and watching him in his press conferences, he’s just a standup guy. He’s definitely changed the game.”

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The city that provided the backdrop to Kelce‘s professional career is now Kendall’s NFL home. The position coach who molded Kelce, Jeff Stoutland, is now Kendall’s, too. He is the latest player to join the Eagles’ tradition of talented centers, an exclusive club that he said he regards with “a lot of honor.”

Kendall only became a full-time center over the last four years. The 6-foot-4, 308-pound Kendall was primarily a guard in high school. He transitioned to center at Boston College, starting 27 games at the position in three seasons for those Eagles.

While poring over Kelce‘s film as a young offensive lineman, Kendall was struck by one of his signature traits: his athleticism when pulling and blocking at the second level of the defense.

“I love the way he pulled,” Kendall said. “Got out in space and really attacked the second level. He got on the second level really fast and really stressed the linebackers. So I thought that was really good and that really made the run game go. So that was a really special thing that he did.”

Kendall isn’t a shabby athlete, either. He ran a 5.05-second 40-yard dash (87th percentile among offensive linemen) and a 4.51 short shuttle (90th percentile) at the combine. For reference, the 6-3, 280-pound Kelce ran a 4.89 40 (97th percentile) and a 4.14 short shuttle (98th percentile) in 2011.

But can he pull like Kelce?

“I‘m getting there,” Kendall said with a smile.

He has time. Barring injury, the Eagles won’t require his services in the starting center spot any time soon. The team recently came to an agreement with Pro Bowler center Cam Jurgens on a four-year, $68 million extension, keeping him under contract through 2029.

Jurgens could soon become the most influential Eagles player in Kendall’s life. The Eagles’ second-round pick out of Nebraska in 2022, Jurgens started at right guard in his second season before making the transition last year back to center, the position he played in college.

Could Kendall make a similar transition from center to guard at the NFL level? The Eagles listed him at both positions when they drafted him and on their rookie camp roster. Kendall is familiar with what it takes to make the transition the other way around.

“When you’re learning to play center, it takes thousands of repetitions,” Kendall said. “So switching between center to guard, guard to center, you just have to rep it like crazy. You’ve got to be a little weird about it and you’ve got to really make sure you’re staying on top of it and doing extra work and learning from the older guys that have experience doing that stuff. So really just trying to utilize all your resources you have.”

Jurgens could be one of those resources. The two players met at the NovaCare Complex on Friday morning for the first time. They didn’t get down to the nitty gritty just yet. The conversation consisted of nothing “too crazy,” Kendall said, as they exchanged introductions and made small talk.

Soon enough, Jurgens could offer insight on how to make the transition from college center to NFL guard. Jurgens learned under Kelce and practiced at multiple positions during his rookie season before assuming the starting right guard role the following year.

» READ MORE: The Eagles and center Cam Jurgens agreed to a four-year extension. It’s worth $68 million

For Kendall, making that switch could hold the key to having the most immediate impact on the team. Come training camp, the Eagles will identify their next starting right guard, a post previously held by Mekhi Becton. Tyler Steen, the 2023 third-rounder out of Alabama, and Kenyon Green, the Houston Texans’ 2022 No. 15 overall pick out of Texas A&M whom the Eagles acquired in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade, are the expected front-runners for the gig.

Even Matt Pryor, the Eagles’ 2018 sixth-round pick who returned to the team for the first time in four seasons in free agency, has starting right guard experience. Kendall might not be in contention for the starting right guard role immediately, but he could vie for it in the years to come if he successfully makes the switch and impresses with his development.

Kendall got his first reps in team drills during Friday’s rookie camp at center. Regardless of what the future holds, Kendall is eager to learn from the same coaches who helped develop one of his favorite players to watch.

“I pride myself on doing a lot of things, but I just do whatever the coaches ask me to do and doing it at the highest level possible,” Kendall said. “Just looking forward to that.”