Eagles draft picks can help fill a void in the middle of the O-line after Jason Kelce’s retirement

ORLANDO — When the Eagles start offseason workouts this spring, they’ll have a new starting center for the first time in 14 years.

Jason Kelce’s retirement has left a void in the middle of the offensive line that will likely require Cam Jurgens sliding over from right guard. The Eagles also lost a couple of depth pieces to free agency this offseason — Jack Driscoll and Sua Opeta — which has the unit looking thinner than it has in years.

But the offseason is far from over, as coach Nick Sirianni said Tuesday, and the numbers only reinforce the notion that general manager Howie Roseman will expend a high draft pick on an offensive lineman in next month’s NFL draft.

“We’ve had great offensive line play over the last three years that I’ve been here,” Sirianni said at the league meetings. “Obviously, we’re losing one of the best players, not only in Eagles history, but in NFL history, one of the best centers of all time. So obviously there’s going to be things we’ve got to work to replace with that.

“But what’s great is these guys have been around Jason for three, four, five, six, seven years. We’ll see who that is at center. We’ll see who that is at right guard. But I know we’ve got a lot of good pieces.”

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The Eagles drafted Jurgens in the second round two years ago to prepare for the eventuality of Kelce’s end. It seems unlikely that left guard Landon Dickerson or some other option will be snapping the football to quarterback Jalen Hurts when the season opens in Brazil in September.

Jurgens ably made the transition to guard last season. And Dickerson, who signed a contract extension earlier this month that made him the highest-paid guard in the NFL, played some center in college. But the former has been groomed to take Kelce’s spot.

The real question is, who replaces Jurgens at right guard?

“As we sit right now, I like our guys,” Sirianni said. “We’ve got guys back with major experience … and then a couple guys there that have played a lot of plays, too, one coming off an injury, and some other depth pieces.”

Matt Hennessy, who signed a one-year contract with the Eagles two weeks ago, suffered a season-ending injury in Falcons training camp last August. The former Temple player has played only at center in the NFL and has 22 career starts. But he has positional versatility and projects as an interior backup.

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Tyler Steen would seem to have a leg up on other candidates to fill the right guard spot. He supplanted Opeta, who initially took over when Jurgens was out with a foot injury, for one game last season as a rookie. But Steen struggled and Opeta was reinserted until Jurgens returned.

Steen, whom the Eagles drafted in the third round last year, played mostly at left tackle in college at Vanderbilt and Alabama. He was clearly more comfortable on the edge than he was inside during camp last summer. But he’ll have a full offseason under offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland if the Eagles project him as the starter.

“Steen has a lot of different qualities to be … versatile,” Sirianni said. “And I think he can do a lot of different things. And so, when you get guys that are versatile, there’s flexibility there in terms of what you can do with them, what piece goes where. We’re excited about him.

“Obviously, how I feel and everybody feels about Coach Stout — he’s going to get the best out of these guys.”

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The Eagles have a long history of building their O-line through the draft. All five starters from last season — tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, and Kelce all arrived in Philly that way.

And with many draft analysts projecting as many as 10 offensive linemen to be selected in the first round, it’s possible the Eagles take one of them. They have the No. 22 pick, but also two second-rounders that could be used to address the position.

There are more tackles expected to go early than interior linemen. But Roseman could take one who could start his NFL career at guard before sliding outside to tackle when Johnson, who turns 34 in May, decides to hang them up.

Either way, it’s seem unlikely that the Eagles won’t add more pieces to the O-line, most likely via the draft.