How Eagles' Cam Jurgens Got Shaped by Soldier's Mindset, 'Salty' D-Line

Set to join perhaps the best offensive line in the NFL, Philadelphia Eagles right guard Cam Jurgens is ready for a starting role

PHILADELPHIA - Cam Jurgens is the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting right guard on perhaps the best offensive line in football and he remains the backup center and heir apparent to five-time Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce.

There is no identity crisis for the emerging second-year player, however.

The latter job is what Jurgens was brought in for as the No. 51 overall pick out of Nebraska in 2022 but Jurgens is now set to cross a bridge that Isaac Seumalo and Landon Dickerson did before him.

While waiting on Kelce to get fitted for his gold jacket, Jurgens is too talented not to play so he’s taken a step to the right.

“I look at myself as a soldier,” Jurgens told SI.com’s Eagles Today. “I do what they tell me to. Right now they got me at guard so I don't know I'm just trying to be the best football player I can be wherever they put me."

Ed Kracz/SI Fan Nation Eagles Today

The move to right guard for Jurgens was preceded by Seumalo, who was a Pro Bowl alternate last season, signing with Pittsburgh in free agency. A projected competition with third-round rookie Tyler Steen never materialized in training camp because Jurgens was too steady to allow the door to remain open even a crack.

Playing in between Kelce and another potential future Hall of Fame player in right tackle Lane Johnson should help mitigate any growing pains for Jurgens.

“I think I feel better now than when I did going into camp and I think I tribute that to Stout [offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland] and the guys around me pushing me to get better,” said Jurgens. “Stout is such a good coach, just constantly harping on like the technique and never letting you forget like what you're doing out there so I think it's a credit to those guys around me."

Jurgens understands there will be hiccups, however.

“I think there's gonna be stuff to learn all season long,” he admitted. “I think that's just kind of how it is.”

Two things tend to fuel Jugens, the first is the standard in an O-Line room that includes four Pro Bowl-level players in Kelce, Johnson, Dickerson, and Jordan Mailata.

“It's such a great room to be a part of,” said Jurgens. “The bar is set so high that like everybody has to be there or strive to be [at the standard]. … I feel like the longer you're a part of that room the more you're going to become better and become more confident."

From there it’s what Jurgens describes as a “pretty salty” defensive line that might be the deepest the NFL has to offer and one that he has to practice against each and every say.

“Our D-line is pretty pretty salty so I think I got a lot of experience going against some [high-level] guys," he said.