College Sports
Kendall joined Donovan Ezeiruaku and Ozzy Trapilo as the first trio of Eagles drafted since 2019.
Drew Kendall is heading from the Eagles to the Eagles.
The former Boston College standout center went 168th overall, in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, to defending champion Philadelphia on Saturday.
“I was getting a little anxious, a little nervous,” Kendall said. “I was actually pacing around my house, and then I got the phone call. It was just such a special moment.”
He joins defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku (44th; Dallas Cowboys) and Ozzy Trapilo (56th; Chicago Bears) to form the first BC draft class with at least three players since 2019.
Kendall, a 6-foot-4-inch, 308-pound force from Norwell, starred at Noble & Greenough School and was the No. 1 recruit from Massachusetts in the Class of 2021.
He redshirted as a freshman, started 11 games as a redshirt freshman, then started all 13 games as a redshirt sophomore. Kendall was a captain and all-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection this past season as a redshirt junior, anchoring a reliable unit alongside childhood friend and teammate Trapilo.
“We both put in a lot of work over the past 10-plus years, building up to this moment,” Kendall said. “To see it come to life in the past two days has been really special. I know he’s fired up to get to Chicago. I can’t wait to get to Philly.”
Kendall posted a team-best 83.1 pass block grade as well as a 76.8 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus this past season. He allowed just five pressures out of 350 drop-back snaps and helped the offense post four games of 200-plus rushing yards and two games of 300-plus.
Kendall is the first BC center drafted since Andy Gallik went to Tennessee in 2015 and the fifth Eagles center drafted since the NFL moved to a seven-round format in 1994.
His father, Pete Kendall, also starred at BC and went 21st overall to the Seattle Seahawks in the 1996 NFL Draft. Pete, a guard and center who started 188 games over 13 seasons, retired in 2008.
“They really have sacrificed a lot,” Kendall said of Pete and his mother, Michelle. “To see this come full circle now, it’s really special.”
Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien said at Pro Day that he thinks NFL lineage does play a role in molding strong pro players.
He said in a release that Kendall is a smart, tough, dependable player with tremendous leadership qualities, calling him the “best center in the ACC” last year.
“He is a bright guy who made all the calls up front on every play,” O’Brien said. “He has a tremendous work ethic to go along with a consistent approach to his daily life.”
Much like his father, Kendall is diversifying his skill set so he’s primarily a center and could also play guard “in a pinch.” He trained with Trapilo, former Eagle and NFL star Chris Lindstrom, and offensive line expert Dante Scarnecchia in the months leading up to the draft.
Kendall said his focus in recent months has been ensuring he’s in the best football shape possible and mastering technique with Scarnecchia’s guidance.
“He’s a legend,” Kendall said. “He’s a Patriots legend. He’s an NFL legend. He’s an offensive line guru. It’s just learning from him, focusing on a lot of things he saw in my game.”
At his Pro Day, Kendall said he would be happy to go anywhere. He was projected to go somewhere in the middle-to-late-rounds, which is how it unfolded on draft weekend.
Kendall joins an offensive line that has established itself as one of the best in the league and is fresh off a dominant showing in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
He’s elated to live out a childhood dream and eager to maximize the opportunity in front of him. As for going from the Eagles to the Eagles, he has no complaints.
“It’s pretty cool,” Kendall said. “My mom and grandma kept saying, ‘Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.’ It’s pretty funny.”
Mullings heading to Titans
Kalel Mullings, the 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts while at Milton Academy, went 188th overall in the sixth round to the Titans.
Mullings, a 6-foot-2-inch, 226-pound running back who grew up in West Roxbury, won a national championship with Michigan in the 2023-24 season. He started his collegiate career primarily at linebacker and on special teams, then added running back to his repertoire as a junior and senior.
This past season, as a graduate student, he racked up 185 carries for 948 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
Former Deerfield star drafted
Wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, who helped Deerfield Academy win the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Class A Bowl in 2021, went 136th overall in the fourth round to the Titans.
The 6-foot-2-inch, 206-pound Ayomanor, originally from Alberta, Canada, was a top-10 recruit in Massachusetts in the Class of 2022. He made his presence felt at Stanford and earned second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors this past year as a redshirt sophomore.
Also headed to NFL
Jackson Hawes, a Georgia Tech tight end who started his career at Yale, went 173rd overall in the fifth round to the Bills. Hawes, a 6-5, 253-pound pass-catcher originally from Utah, was a two-time all-Ivy League second-team selection.
Ajani Cornelius, a 6-5, 310-pound offensive tackle who started his collegiate career at the University of Rhode Island before transferring to Oregon, went 204th overall in the sixth round to the Cowboys.
Moments later, Chase Lundt, a 6-7, 304-pound offensive tackle who starred at the University of Connecticut, went 206th overall to the Bills.
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