Kennedy was the ninth overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, taken by the Atlanta Falcons. He started at left guard throughout his rookie season in 1993, but lost the job the following year to veteran free agent Dave Richards, out of UCLA. After a disappointing 1995 season, Kennedy was traded to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, where he started at right tackle in all but three games of his first seven seasons there. In November 1999, during a Monday night game against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium, Kennedy went after a fan who hit him in the face with a snowball. As a member of the Raiders, Kennedy was named to three consecutive Pro Bowls and anchored the offensive line in Super Bowl XXXVII.