With The First Pick
Fansided

Super Bowl LII: Top five players who weren’t first-round NFL Draft picks

By Maxwell Ogden

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - FEBRUARY 01: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots warms up during the New England Patriots practice on February 1, 2018 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The New England Patriots will play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII on February 4. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - FEBRUARY 01: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots warms up during the New England Patriots practice on February 1, 2018 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The New England Patriots will play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII on February 4. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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ST PAUL, MN – JANUARY 29: Jason Kelce #62 of the Philadelphia Eagles speaks to the media during Super Bowl Media Day at Xcel Energy Center on January 29, 2018 in St Paul, Minnesota. Super Bowl LII will be played between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles on February 4. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
ST PAUL, MN – JANUARY 29: Jason Kelce #62 of the Philadelphia Eagles speaks to the media during Super Bowl Media Day at Xcel Energy Center on January 29, 2018 in St Paul, Minnesota. Super Bowl LII will be played between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles on February 4. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

3. Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles

Drafted: Round 6, Pick 191
Position: Center
2017 Pro Football Focus Grade: 91.7 (No. 1 amongst centers)

The likelihood of finding an anchor as late as the sixth round of the NFL Draft is slim to none. That’s exactly what transpired with Jason Kelce, however, as the Philadelphia Eagles found an elite center in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Kelce will now have an opportunity to put a bow on his under-appreciated career by helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LII against the favored New England Patriots.

By the pass protection numbers, one would assume that Kelce isn’t an elite player. Two sacks truly isn’t aren’t worth losing your mind over, but allowing four quarterback hits and 20 total pressures puts him more in the tier of solid than elite—without context, of course.

Kelce faced the unenviable task of protecting two different quarterbacks in 2017, with different being the optimal word in this scenario.

Carson Wentz was an outstanding thrower, but he also ran the option and had a tendency to tuck the ball and run—two complicating factors for an offensive lineman. Nick Foles isn’t stuck in quicksand, but he’s far more of a pocket passer—one who can hold the ball for too long.

The reality with Kelce is that he did a solid enough job protecting the quarterback for this nugget to shine through: Not a single player in the NFL had a better run protection rating than he at 95.9.

Only Zack Martin came close at 92.0—which truly isn’t close at all.

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