Imagine Cam Jurgens Between Jason Kelce And Lane Johnson
Will Cam Jurgens be ready to switch positions and step in for Isaac Seumalo as the starting right guard in 2023?
Nick Sirianni addressed the notion of the 2022 second-round pick as the favorite to land the job.
“We’ll always see what we can do to play the best five that we have right there. Cam had a really good year of sitting behind one of the best players in franchise history (and) one of the best centers in the history of this game.” -Nick Sirianni
The leadership of Jason Kelce is invaluable to the Philadelphia Eagles, and Jurgens can benefit from the presence of Kelce as much any member of the defending NFC champions.
“Cam will just continue to learn from him (Kelce), and sure, we’ll see what’s the best situation for Cam and for the team. We have a lot of confidence in Cam, and we’re excited that he can play multiple positions.” -Sirianni
Eagles Offensive Line
It’s a luxury for any player to step in between legends like Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson every game. It unquestionably helped Seumalo on his path to signing a three-year, $24 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The favorable position at right guard should factor into the optimistic evaluation of a young, talented player like Jurgens moving to a less familiar position.
However, the dependability that Seumalo provided shouldn’t just be throw out the window. He played over 90% of the offensive snaps in four consecutive seasons to end his tenure in Philadelphia.
While analysts have constantly lauded the Eagles for their dominance along the offensive line in recent seasons, that high level of play has only happened when the best linemen are on the field.
Injuries destroyed the line glaringly in 2020 in a 4-11-1 season. The continuity of a healthy offensive line has been the foundation of some of the best performances from the Eagles in the last two seasons, and the dependability of Seumalo was a big part of that.
What should be expected from a replacement player?
Cam Jurgens
Jurgens has the athleticism to be effective in open space, which can translate well to the guard position for a lineman who can pull on running plays and block defenders at the second level.
He caught the eyes of Philadelphia Eagles fans with an excellent performance during the 2022 preseason. However, the performance of healthy veteran offensive linemen kept him off the field during most of the regular season and the playoffs.
Cam Jurgens in the open field is a sight to behold 😳👀 pic.twitter.com/bT6xGYjheE
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 21, 2022
The power of a freight train with Johnson and Jurgens on the right side and Kelce in the middle is even scarier than the dominant offensive line in 2022.
Howie Roseman took input from Kelce when evaluating Jurgens before the 2022 NFL Draft. He trusted the future Hall of Fame center enough to spend a second-round pick on a player expected to contribute very minimally during his rookie season.
Roseman has historically prioritized raw athleticism and the versatility to play multiple positions as two particular strengths of offensive linemen during draft evaluations.
Jurgens checks the first box with excellent athleticism as a former tight end, and the Eagles wouldn’t have used a premium pick on a player they considered limited exclusively to the center position with Kelce coming off an All-Pro season in 2021.
The former Nebraska Cornhuskers star will need some offseason work at Jeff Stoutland University, but he’s lucky to have one of the best position coaches in the NFL in addition to the veteran leaders Kelce and Johnson.
“Whatever the coaches want me to do, that’s my mindset. I just want to keep getting better, improving my technique and my game all around. I understand what they mean when they say players improve the most from their first season to their second season.” –Cam Jurgens (PhiladelphiaEagles.com)
Jurgens: Starting Guard in 2023?
Sirianni isn’t going to hand out starting spots to players with hardly any experience at a new position months before training camp.
“We still have a lot of things to go through before we have to make any decisions…We’ll see where we go with him (Jurgens), but (we’re) excited that he’s on our team and excited that he adds major depth to our team.”-Sirianni
The Eagles didn’t rely on rookies often on their way to an appearance in Super Bowl LVII. Undrafted free agent Reed Blankenship stunningly played more playoff snaps on offense or defense than any other rookie.
However, Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean will see an opportunity to play bigger roles on defense in 2023.
On the offensive side, it sure looks like Cam Jurgens will have his chance to show the NFL the tools that enamored Kelce and the Eagles with a breakout season in 2023.
You Might Also Like:
Jamie Lynch's NFL Mock Draft 3.0
