Eagles history: The 5 greatest NFL Draft steals since 1970

The Eagles’ 2011 draft class was full of misses, but Jason Kelce was one gem they found in the muddle.

If there is ever a player that embodied the spirit and blue-collar grit that Philadelphia, those guys would be Brian Dawkins and Jason Kelce. The former was a second-round draft choice. It’s still hard to believe the latter was a sixth-rounder the Eagles drafted AFTER guard Danny Watkins, safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, Curtis Marsh, linebacker Casey Matthews, kicker Alex Henery, running back Dion Lewis, and guard Julian Vandervelde.

Kelce was criticized for being ‘undersized’, but the Birds snatched him in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.  No one knew they had found one of the best players that would ever wear their jersey.

Philly’s offensive line coach at that time, Howard Mudd, had also tutored another former sixth-round pick that was labeled as being undersized. That guy’s name was Jeff Saturday, an Indianapolis Colts legend.

Mudd told Saturday he believed Kelce had all the intangibles to be one of the best to ever play at center in the game.

"This guy is going to be a lifer, which means he’s going to get 10 years or more, and he’s going to be an absolute stud. He’ll be a perennial Pro Bowler, one that challenges at both levels."

He wasn’t wrong. Following a dozen NFL seasons, he has found his way onto six Pro Bowl rosters. He’s been named a First-Team Associated Press All-Pro five times. He has also won a Super Bowl. Not a bad job at all for an undersized sixth-rounder, huh?