Drew Kendall, Boston College: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Kendall was a four-star recruit from Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Mass. in the class of 2021
Boston College’s Drew Kendall is one of only a few draftable true center prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. Kendall is a scheme-specific option who will enter the league as a backup. He excels on outside zone runs but faces physical limitations that put a cap on his long-term upside.
Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more opinions on prospects, clips, and the latest football content.
Drew Kendall, C Boston College: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt junior center from Norwell, Mass.
Background: Kendall was a four-star recruit from Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Mass. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 136 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 78 for Rivals, and No. 141 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 262nd in the nation with an 81 grade out of 100. Kendall’s father, Pete, played along the offensive line at Boston College before being selected 21st overall in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He spent 13 years in the NFL, appearing in 189 games.
Injuries & Off-Field: Played through a hand injury vs. Clemson and missed the Wake Forest game in 2022 after undergoing surgery during the bye week, exited 2024 bowl game vs. Nebraska early on
Awards: 2022 Freshman All-America (CFN), 2024 First Team All-ACC
Pros: Arms at 32 3/8" check the box at center, toughness, good eyes and recognition skills, impressive awareness, stunt recognitions and adjustments, quickly redirects for LB blitz pickup, strike placement, hand placement helps develop leverage, wide base, resets base to slow pass rushers, some examples of securing reach blocks, makes quick decisions to support multiple blocks on run plays, uses angles to secure run lanes and generate horizontal displacement, mobility to pull for gap runs, impressive quickness in space, performance in space, good angles to second level targets, maintains blocks well while flowing parallel to LOS, motor runs hot, constantly driving legs
Cons: Center-only, frame needs to add mass, power disadvantage, not a sudden or twitchy athlete, questionable range in pass protection, inconsistent maximizing natural leverage, driven backward by nose tackles, questionable anchor, vulnerable to push-pull moves, relies on a lot of double team opportunities in pass pro, lacks the power to dig out interior linemen, doesn’t generate displacement in the run game, lackluster clamps, struggles sustaining solo blocks vs. 0 and 1-techs, inability to sustain and finish blocks hurts the run game, occasional losses to swim counter in run game
Overview: Kendall is a tough, intelligent center-only prospect with 32 3/8" arms that check the box but leave him little room for error. He faces a significant power disadvantage and must continue adding mass to match NFL-caliber power. Kendall’s vision and recognition skills to diagnose stunts and blitzes make him one of the smartest centers in the 2025 class. He doesn’t boast significant range in pass protection and lacks suddenness, which makes his quick processing essential. The Massachusetts native’s strike placement and hand usage help him establish and sustain leverage. He possesses a natural leverage advantage but plays too vertical in his stance at times. Kendall’s hand placement helps maximize his anchor. He appeared to struggle against NFL-caliber power throughout the season and relied on double teams to sap the defender’s momentum. His build makes him vulnerable to speed to power and push-pull moves, but he gradually takes the air out of rushes by resetting his base. Kendall performed admirably when isolated against defensive linemen during the East-West Shrine Bowl practices and emerged as one of the most consistent performers during the pass protection drills. He can provide serviceable protection in the NFL but will encounter some strength disparities he can’t overcome with technique. Kendall is a quick mover on gap and outside zone runs. His mobility in space helps him establish impressive angles to intercept second-level targets. He makes quick decisions on the fly to save plays and pick off emerging threats. Kendall’s motor runs hot, and he constantly churns his legs while attached to blocks. He stays attached when flowing parallel to the line but struggles to displace interior linemen vertically. Nose tackles muscle through his clamps and shed his blocks too easily. Large defensive linemen stack Kendall at the point of attack and cause plays to break down. He’s better operating in space than close quarters in the run game.
Overall, Kendall is a smart center with an excellent motor, but his frame and play strength place significant restrictions on his projection to the NFL level. His room for error with his physical profile is uncomfortably small. Kendall’s quickness and precision in space make him an ideal fit for an outside zone scheme.
Role & Scheme Fit: Center in an outside zone scheme
Round Grade: Late Fifth to Early Sixth Round
Size: 6'3 1/2", 304 lbs. (Shrine Bowl)
Submitted: 10-14-24
Updated: 02-06-25