Eagles 2024 Training Camp Preview: Interior Offensive Line

The Eagles are entering a new world without Jason Kelce piloting things up front.

Dec 3, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson (69) against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA - There is far more uncertainty than normal regarding the interior of the Eagles’ offensive line, stemming from the retirement of six-time All-Pro Jason Kelce at center.

The new man in the middle for Philadelphia will be third-year pro Cam Jurgens, who was drafted at No. 51 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft to be the latest heir apparent to the rare player who seemed to get better with age.

Kelce was an ironman who finished his career with 156 consecutive regular-season starts and 167 if you want to include the postseason. His six All-Pro nods came over his final seven seasons, matching Hall of Famers Chuck Bednarik and Reggie White for the most in Eagles’ history.

Kelce is surely going to join Bednarik and White in Canton someday yet the Eagles seem non-plussed about Jurgens sliding over from right guard to replace Kelce at center.

That’s not to say Jurgens is going to immediately step in and play to the Kelce standard but the Philadelphia brass is confident that the Nebraska product will provide solid play at the position.

“Cam Jurgens was brought here two years ago for the reason of when Kelce does retire, that we have a guy who we really identified as being a top-level center, in our opinion,” offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland said.

The bigger concern for Stoutland was Jurgens moving to right guard last season while waiting on Kelce. Jurgens played well enough is less-than-ideal circumstanced for him to be named a Pro Bowl alternate.

“When we moved him to guard, a lot of you guys asked me this last year, I wasn’t sure, if would be able to [move] because we weren’t evaluating him for that spot,” said Stoutland. “I was real impressed with the job that he did there, to be honest with you. His physicality and all that.”

Philadelphia Eagles interior linemen prepare for a drill under O-line coach Jeff Stoutland (left). From left to right: Mekhi Becton, Cam Jurgens, and Tyler Steen. / Ed Kracz

The one concern moving forward is durability because Jurgens missed six games last season due to foot and pec injuries.

Penciled in at right guard for now is second-year hopeful Tyler Steen, a college tackle at Vanderbilt and Alabama. 

Steen got one opportunity to start last season when Jurgens was injured and faltered in pass protection against Dallas forcing the Eagles to go back to now-departed backup Sua Opeta. 

While Philadelphia is expecting Steen to seize the position they have brought in three veteran contingencies in Mekhi Becton, Matt Hennessy, and Max Scharping. Becton, however, is a natural tackle who is more comfortable on the left side and Hennessy has had significant knee issues over the past two seasons.

Left guard is in the capable hands of Landon Dickerson, who has made two Pro Bowls in his first three seasons and signed a four-year, $84 million extension in the offseason.

One of the most powerful guards in football, Dickerson teams up with best friend Jordan Mailata to give Stoutland the best left side in the NFL.

Depth Chart: 

*There will be a lot of cross-training here but we are defaulting to where Stoutland started the key components in the spring which saw Hennessy as the second-team RG, Toth as the backup center, Becton replacing an excused Dickerson at LG and Keegan staying at his college position at LG

OC - Cam Jurgens; Brett Toth; Dylan McMahon; Jason Poe 

LG - Landon Dickerson; Mekhi Becton; Trevor Keegan; Gottlieb Ayedze 

RG - Tyler Steen; Matt Hennessy; Max Scharping; Darian Kinnard 

WHAT’S CHANGED: Kelce is one of the greatest players in franchise history and will be sorely missed while top backups Sua Opeta and Jack Driscoll are gone, signing with Tampa Bay and Miami respectively. Practice-squader Lecitus Smith was waived in April and quickly signed with Green Bay.

Incoming are Becton, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 draft whose main role is likely going to be backing up Lane Johnson and Mailata as the swing tackle, as well as Hennessy and Scharping, who both have extensive NFL starting experience.

Kinnard, a 2022 fifth-round pick of Kansas City, has guard/table versatility while Stoutland got two Day 3 2024 picks to work with in Keegan and McMahaon as well as the undrafted Gottlieb Ayedze, who he took a liking to at Maryland’s Pro Day. A college OT, Ayedze better projects inside.

COACHING: Stoutland is regarded as one of the best assistant coaches in all of football and was a finalist for the PFWA’s Paul Zimmerman Award, a lifetime achievement honor as an assistant coach in the NFL.

He’s a staple of the organization, not just the coaching staff after bridging the Chip Kelly, Doug Pederson, and now Nick Sirianni eras.

THE CEILING: Jurgens takes the baton from Kelce and plays at a Pro Bowl level while Steen solidifies right guard and Stoutland isn’t forced to persevere at RG with a stop-gap. Either way, expect a top-5 OL overall due to the presence of Dickerson, as well as Johnson and Mailata on the outside.

THE LONGSHOT: The comparison is obvious. An undersized, athletic sixth-round center.

The odds of McMahon being Kelce-like are not great. That said, if there is any organization that is going to give the rookie a legitimate chance to stick and ultimately persevere, it’s this one. The Eagles were particularly enamored with McMahon’s ability to handle reach blocks at the college level with North Carolina State. 

WHO STAYS/GOES: Jurgens, Dickerson, Steen, and Becton are locks while Hennessy and Scharping might be battling each other for the veteran interior gameday backup. 

History says the Eagles will likely keep their draft picks unless the summers are a disaster for Keegan and McMahon. Ayedze is a good bet for the PS and Stoutland always likes to keep a PS center which could keep Poe in the mix as well unless the Eagles feel comfortable getting McMahon through waivers.

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