Philadelphia Eagles Jason Kelce is NFL’s most well-rounded center per PFF
Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles is the most well-rounded center in the entire NFL. Just ask the statistical experts over at Pro Football Focus.
Sometimes, people arrive late to a party. It doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any fun before everyone showed up. Some of the earlier critiques of the Philadelphia Eagles‘ starting center, Jason Kelce weren’t flattering, but coaches and teammates stuck with him.
110 games, and subsequently, 110 starts later, Kelce’s finally getting the love and adoration he deserves. Who knows what those critics were seeing (okay, he is a little small by pro football’s standards at 295 pounds), but as he enters his ninth season in an ultra-competitive NFL, he’s the author of two Pro Bowl seasons (2014,2016).
Add that to a resume that includes two First-team All-Pro nods (2017, 2018) and Philly’s Super Bowl season where the Eagles’ offensive line took home the honor of being named the Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year.
He’s also a fan favorite of the Eagles’ fan base and one of Philly’s adopted sons. You can, partially, thank what might be the most famous speech in the history of victory parades for that. Still, the man who may never have to pay for a meal in Philly again is most proud of what he’s done on the field, and that work on the field was magnified recently by those stat experts over at Pro Football Focus.
They, recently, named the most balanced offensive linemen based on their 2018 overall grades, and in the category of the most balanced center, Kelce got the nod.
Take a look:
As the season looms near, PFF's Mike Johnson (@PFF_MJ) takes a look at offensive linemen who graded well in both run-blocking and pass-blocking from a season ago:https://t.co/3p0QklftBp pic.twitter.com/ojFwxrjoiK
— PFF (@PFF) June 9, 2019
Check out the commentary:
"Jason Kelce may very well be the best all-around offensive linemen in the NFL, and his 2018 season further proved that point. The nine-year veteran paced all centers with an 84.9 overall grade through the regular season — the third-highest mark of his storied Philadelphia career.Kelce also led all centers in run-blocking grade at 82.9 — with a 14.82% run-blocking success rate — while adding a career-high 87.7 grade in pass protection this season that ranked second to only Oakland’s Rodney Hudson (90.8)."
Any further questions? Count them up. Only 32 men on the planet can claim to being starting centers in the NFL. Kelce’s one of them, and as the old saying goes, people may lie but numbers don’t.
Next. Generosity from Corey Clement, DeSean Jackson. dark
When ’62’ runs onto the field in 2019, he’ll be snapping the ball to a legitimate MVP candidate, and Carson Wentz can feel comfortable knowing that he’s behind a line that clears holes for some of the best backs in the NFL and will be able to provide protection as ’11’ picks apart defenses and finds some of the best receivers and tight ends in the game.
The regular season sure can’t get here fast enough.