The New England Patriots are ushering in a new era at the heart of their offensive line. David Andrews, who had been the team’s starter since 2016 and a team captain since 2017, was released earlier this offseason. How he will be replaced remains to be seen, with free agency pickup Garrett Bradbury seemingly the frontrunner.
The longterm outlook at the position is unclear, though, which is why the Patriots might opt to invest in a center in the NFL Draft.
Hard facts
Name: Drew Kendall
Position: Center
School: Boston College
Opening day age: 23 (11/27/2001)
Measurements: 6’4 1/4”, 308 lbs, 77 1/2” wingspan, 31 3/4” arm length, 9 5/8” hand size, 5.05s 40-yard dash, 7.56s 3-cone, 4.51s short shuttle, 20 bench press reps, 9.10 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
Career statistics: 39 games (37 starts) | 2,450 offensive snaps | 37 pressures surrendered (5 sacks, 6 hits, 26 hurries) | 10 penalties
Accolades: First-team All-ACC (2024)
A native of Norwell, Kendall was a four-star recruit and the No. 1 recruit in Massachusetts coming out of Noble and Greenough School in Dedham. Even though he received scholarship offers from multiple Power 5 schools including Michigan, Penn State and Stanford, he decided to remain home and joined Boston College under then-head coach Jeff Hafley in 2021.
After playing just two games as a redshirt, he took over as the Eagles’ starting center in his second season. From that point on, he proved himself a reliable presence at the heart of the team’s offensive line — ending his college career with 31 consecutive starts and a first-team All-ACC nominations. In 2024, under former Patriots assistant coach Bill O’Brien, Kendall was named a captain.
Draft profile
Expected round: Day 3 | Consensus big board: No. 297 | Patriots meeting: Pro Day
Strengths: Kendall has NFL blood pumping through his veins. His father Pete, who also played at Boston College, was a first-round pick in the 1996 draft and appeared in 189 games during his 13-year career. His son is far from an O-line nepo baby, though.
The younger Kendall, after all, checks plenty of the boxes you would want an NFL center to have. He has good length at 6-foot-4 with an almost 78-inch wingspan and 32-inch arms. He combines those physical requirements with the necessary toughness and quick processor to succeed at the next level, and has also shown he has the technical foundation as well; Kendall plays with a solid base in pass protection and has shown the ability to diagnose line games quickly and react accordingly.
He also has a good feel for taking the correct angles in the run game, and the proper flexibility to execute reach blocks and pull on gap plays. Once at the second level, he identifies targets and has shown that he can move them aside; he has the proper grip strength and lower-body drive to maintain blocks. In addition, he commanded the Eagles’ O-line and was named a captain in 2024.
It’s a relatively weak center class aside from Jared Wilson, but Boston College’s Drew Kendall stands out as a well-rounded prospect. He moves well, holds his ground against power, and while he may not have dominant flashes, he also avoids glaring mistakes on tape. He was my OC7… pic.twitter.com/oD2BOjtW44
— Chicago Football Connection (@CFCBears) February 23, 2025
Weaknesses: Even though he has the length and baseline athleticism to compete at the NFL level, Kendall will need to add to his frame and make himself comfortable in the weight room not to be overpowered on a regular basis. In general, power has been somewhat of an issue for him even when going against ACC-level opposition.
Needless to say, the uptick in competition will be a challenge and it might take some time for him to properly adjust to the increased speed and strength he will need to go up against. In order to overcome those issues, Kendall will need his processing and technique to be on point — something that was not always the case during his career at Boston College, resulting in 10 combined penalties over his final two seasons.
Additionally, Kendall has not shown any versatility. All 2,450 of his career snaps in college have come at center, with none at any other position or even on special teams.
Patriots preview
What would be his role? Even though he has extensive starting experience from his time at BC, Kendall starting Day 1 in the NFL would be a surprise. More realistically, he would begin his pro career as a backup to a more experienced option — whether it be the aforementioned Garrett Bradbury or one of the other center option on New England’s current roster, such as Cole Strange and Ben Brown.
What is his growth potential? Kendall’s success at the NFL level will depend on his ability to add mass to his frame and improve his play strength in the process. Neither is a given, but it we’re speaking best case scenario he could become a starter as early as his second season. His upside may not be the highest among all center prospects, but he has the tools to adequately follow in his father’s footsteps further down the line.
Does he have positional versatility? As noted above, Kendall’s versatility has effectively been nonexistent during his time in Boston College. The Patriots might decide to give him some reps at guard early on in his career, but he is entering the league exclusively as a center prospect with virtually no special teams value either.
Why the Patriots? There are several reasons why Kendall to New England feels like a shoo-in on Day 3 of the draft. He played under Bill O’Brien, whose 2024 staff also featured current Patriots offensive line coach Doug Marrone; he would help address what remains a medium-term need; his profile compares to that of David Andrews. All that for a Day 3 selection seems like a good deal.
Why not the Patriots? The Patriots will have all the intel on Kendall, for better or worse. While there is no telling what they will do with the information, they could decide to go with higher-upside options at the center position or show more urgency than a fifth- or sixth-round pick to address it.
One-sentence verdict: If the Patriots want a steady presence with proven leadership at the center position, Kendall looks like a realistic target on the third day of the draft.
What do you think about Drew Kendall as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.