It’s never an easy task to follow a legend. That’s true in any sport. Ask anyone who has ever done so. Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty had a hard time living in Dean Smith’s shadow. Steve Young is a deserving Pro Football Hall of Famer. Ask him how the journey in San Francisco began if you ever cross paths with him.

Those looking for a Philadelphia Eagles parallel needn’t search any further than Cam Jurgens succeeding Jason Kelce. Cam had the unenviable task of following one of the franchise’s beloved legends, but on that front, things seem to be going pretty well.

Advertisement

Philadelphia drafted Jurgens during Round 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 51st overall selection. He watched his mentor from the sidelines as a rookie before playing next to him as the Eagles‘ starting right guard a year later.

After playing 654 snaps for the Birds in his sophomore season, Kelce retired, and Cam became the full-time starter. That has worked out very well. He made his first Pro Bowl roster but missed the games as he anchored an O-line that helped spearhead another Super Bowl victory.

Big things are expected in year four. He enters his final year of his rookie deal, but he does so with peace of mind and some security. He recently received a pay raise as Philadelphia showed their appreciation with an extension for the job he’s been doing, but the appreciation doesn’t seem to be contagious.

Pro Football Focus snubs Cam Jurgens in recent ranking of NFL centers

Pro Football Focus hasn’t disappointed with their offseason content, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t delivered one or two head-scratchers. They recently stacked all 32 starting centers ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Cam is ranked 13th.

Advertisement

Wait! What? Perhaps he has been hindered here due to his back injury?

“Jurgens has struggled at times as a pass protector, but his overall grading profile since becoming the Eagles’ starting center shows an upward trend that should continue into 2025. If you exclude Jurgens’ playoff performance, during which he was battling an injury, his PFF overall grade (67.1) charted as a top-10 mark at the position.”

Those were the words of one Mason Cameron, the writer of this one. Okay, so maybe the back injury had little to do with the theory? No disrespect is intended to anyone else on the list, but the eyeball test suggests he is head and shoulders over several of the guys who are ranked ahead of him.

You’re more than welcome to debate among yourselves about who that list should include and who it shouldn’t, but don’t stress or lose any sleep as the Eagles’ season nears. Cam is teamed with Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Lane Johnson. That still ranks as one of the best O-lines in all of professional football.

Advertisement

We’ll see what Philadelphia does at the starting right guard position, but they have plenty of talented players to analyze. No worries at the anchor, though. Cam has provided a smooth transition from Jason Kelce, and by the looks of things, the new guy has an opportunity to play at an elite level for a long time moving forward.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: PFF’s recent ranking severely undervalues Eagles star Cam Jurgens