Gavin Gerhardt Has A Unique Tie To Jason Kelce

In the seventh round of the 2026 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Gavin Gerhardt out of the University of Cincinnati. Fifteen years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles took another Bearcat center late in the draft – seven-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro Jason Kelce.

The funniest part about this is that Gerhardt was the first Cincinnati center drafted since Philadelphia selected Kelce in 2011.

Gerhardt was able to allow among the fewest pressures across the NCAA on drop-pack passes for the Bearcats last year — seven pressures on 402 passes with no sacks – something Kelce did for the Eagles throughout his NFL career; Kelce surrendered just 12 pressures on 1,108 pass attempts and only one sack in his final season in 2023.

While the Vikings addressed a need in the seventh round, fans can't help but wonder what the team got and how Gearhardt compares to the last Bearcat center drafted.

The Vikings needed a center

Last season, the Vikings had an offensive line carousel, largely due to Ryan Kelly’s frequent absence due to injury. Michael Jurgens or Blake Brandel frequently filled in for Kelly when he was unable to play, missing nine games due to recurring concussion issues.

The Vikings need a full-time center this year. Gerhardt may not be an instant plug-and-play center. Still, fans shouldn’t write him off as a throwaway pick.

Fans should still expect Brandel to start Week 1 at center. However, Gerhardt could also elevate the Vikings in a pinch, just like Kelce did for the Eagles. Kelce played in 16 games during his rookie season after the team selected him in the sixth round.

Giving playing time to a rookie seventh-rounder is gutsy. Still, late-round centers have performed immediately in the past.

What does Gerhardt bring to the table?

Gavin Gerhardt spent all six seasons of eligibility with Cincinnati, playing in 54 games and starting 49, the most by any center in program history. They initially recruited him as a guard but later switched him to center after two seasons.

Last year was full of accomplishments and nominations. Gerhardt was named Third-Team All-Big 12, was part of the O-line that earned three Big 12 Lines of the Week honors, and was the Bearcats’ team captain for three consecutive seasons.

Gerhardt was also on watch lists for the Rimington Award for best center, the Allstate Good Works (national community service award across all sports and divisions), and the Wuerffel Trophy for college football's community service award last year.

The Vikings may have taken not just a dependable player but also a good guy.

Just like Kelce, Gerhardt could make an early impact in the league, but how soon?

Similarities and differences

Gavin Gerhardt and Jason Kelce were late-round draft picks who spent their entire collegiate career at Cincinnati, and they are both big dudes.

When Kelce entered the league, his draft profile listed him at 6’2” ⅝, 280 lbs. Meanwhile, Gerhardt is entering the league at a whopping 6’4”, 309 lbs. Kelce is the smaller of the two and the more athletic.

For this comparison, let's look closely at each player's Relative Athletic Score (RAS). Kelce was considered undersized, yet he proved to have elite athleticism across the board. Conversely, Gerhardt has great size but is an average athlete.

And, potentially, the craziest similarity of them all: They both called Ohio home. Kelce is from Cleveland Heights, Gerhardt from Xenia, a three-and-a-half-hour drive southwest of Cleveland.

Ultimately, did the Vikings hit a home run, or will they be left saying, “At least we tried?”

While their paths to get to the NFL show some crazy mirroring, only time will tell what the Vikings truly got. Gavin Gerhardt may never make the impact Jason Kelce did, but